


Cuddle Corner

by roxasfanfics



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Naruto, One Piece
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Cutesy, Drabbles, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Modern AUs, Oneshot collection, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-03-30 01:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 113,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxasfanfics/pseuds/roxasfanfics
Summary: A collection of fluff oneshots from a variety of fandoms.DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters within these stories aside from the indicated OCs. Those rights belong to their respective creators.





	1. Foreword

Hello, everyone! This here is a little collection of oneshots from a variety of fandoms, from romantic fluff to friendship drabbles. Feel free to peruse the chapters, and happy reading!

I do take prompts! However, there are a few guidelines:

  * If a prompt is submitted, there is _no_ guarantee that I will write about it. I appreciate suggestions and am happy to write the scenes you guys want, but if it is something I do not know well or something that I cannot draw inspiration for, I have the authority to choose to not take the prompt. Please be respectful of my decision as the author.
  * Most of the scenes I write are male/female, but I am not entirely opposed to writing male/male or female/female fluff. If a certain pairing you guys suggest strikes my fancy, it is possible that I may write about it, but again, do respect my decision if I choose not to.
  * _This is not a smut thread._ There will be no NSFW content in this story, so please do not suggest any.



Now, here are the fandoms that I am willing and will probably write about (this list is subject to change):

  * One Piece
  * Naruto
  * Bleach
  * Fruits Basket
  * Kuroko no Basket
  * Hikaru no Go
  * Princess Resurrection
  * Hellsing
  * Chibi Vampire
  * Avatar: The Last Airbender
  * Avatar: The Legend of Korra
  * +anima
  * Akira
  * My Love Story!!
  * D-Gray-man
  * Fullmetal Alchemist
  * Muhyo and Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
  * Soul Eater
  * Blue Exorcist 



 


	2. Index

**Fullmetal Alchemist**

  * _Chapter 3: An Understanding (Roy/Riza)_
  * _Chapter 10: An Understanding Part II (Roy/Riza)_
  * _Chapter 13: Laundry Day (Roy/Riza)_
  * _Chapter 18: In the Line of Fire (Roy/Riza)_
  * _Chapter 28: The War Left Unfought (Roy/Riza)_
  * _Chapter 32: Memory (Edward/Winry)_



**Naruto**

  * _Chapter 4: An Unexpected Addition (Sasuke/Sakura/Naruto)_
  * _Chapter 5: Hide and Seek (Naruto/Himawari)_
  * _Chapter 7: The First Time Babysitting (Gaara/Kankuro/Temari/Shikadai)_
  * _Chapter 8: Valentine's Day (Naruto/Hinata)_
  * _Chapter 12: The Big Competition (Choji/Female OC)_
  * _Chapter 14: The Anniversary (Kiba/Female OC)_
  * _Chapter 15: Bad Dream (Naruto/Boruto)_
  * _Chapter 16: The First Date (Lee/Female OC)_
  * _Chapter 17: A Twist of Fate (Kiba/Female OC)_
  * _Chapter 20: Another Sleepless Night (Sasuke/Sakura)_
  * _Chapter 24: Colors (Shikamaru/Temari)_
  * _Chapter 25: Home (Minato/Kushina)_
  * _Chapter 27: Christmas Morning (Sakura/Sasuke/Sarada)_
  * _Chapter 35: A Dog’s Day (Akamaru/Kiba)_
  * _Chapter 37: Marry Me (Shikamaru/Female OC)_



**One Piece**

  * _Chapter 6: Mettle as a Wife (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 9: The Man I Know and Love (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 11: Truth or Dare (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 19: She's Not You (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 21: The Man I Know and Love Part II (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 22: The Epiphany (Luffy/Hancock)_
  * _Chapter 26: My Knight in Shining Armor (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 29: The Man I Know and Love Part III (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 31: A Lovely New Assistant (Nami/Sanji)_
  * _Chapter 34: A Daring Rescue (Luffy/Smoothie)_
  * _Chapter 36: A Present for Nami (Sanji/Nami)_
  * _Chapter 38: Some Sound Advice (Ace/Sanji/Nami)_
  * _Chapter 41: A Bond of Trust (Luffy/Nami)_
  * _Chapter 42: The Fated Reunion (Luffy/Nami/Shanks)_
  * _Chapter 43: War-Torn (Nami/Luffy/Shanks)_
  * _Chapter 45: A Bond of Trust Part II (Luffy/Nami/Sabo)_
  * _Chapter 46: Feverish (Luffy/Nami/Shanks)_
  * _Chapter 47: Fire and Water (Sanji/Nami)_



**Avatar: The Last Airbender**

  * _Chapter 23: Goodnight (Katara/Zuko)_



**Bleach**

  * _Chapter 30: You and I (Ichigo/Tatsuki)_
  * _Chapter 39: What a Beautiful Wedding (Ichigo/Tatsuki)_
  * _Chapter 40: You and I Part II (Ichigo/Tatsuki)_
  * _Chapter 44: You and I Part III (Ichigo/Tatsuki)_



**Blue Exorcist**

  * _Chapter 33: Promises (Juzo/Mamushi)_




	3. An Understanding

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters: Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Go check them out!

Riza sat patiently on the hospital bed, gazing at the wall with tired eyes as the nurse wrapped her arm in thick, white bandages. Her shoulder was throbbing with pain, despite the painkillers that they had administered her, like snakes of fire shooting down her arm and back from the gunshot wound that had only been stitched shut a few minutes ago. As the nurse tied off the bandage, Riza glanced down to see that the wound was still leaking blood, staining the pristine whiteness a dark shade of red. Not that she could complain about any of it. It had been her own reckless actions that had earned her yet another scar on her body.

“Now, try not to move too much so that the wound can fully close,” the nurse instructed as she rose straightened up. “For the next week, the bandages should be changed approximately every twelve hours. Would you like for me to explain how to do so, Miss Hawkeye?” She asked politely. Riza shook her head and stood up to grab her uniform jacket and slide her good arm into the sleeve.

“No need. This isn’t my first gunshot wound,” she responded simply, wincing as she eased the other arm into the sleeve. She moved stiffly, but her shoulders still flared with intense pain. _I don’t want to take any more painkillers. It will dull my senses,_ she thought as she carefully buttoned up her jacket. She bowed politely to the slightly stunned nurse, who was clearly not accustomed to dealing with members of the military, before retrieving her things and exiting the room.

“Lieutenant,” came the voice she had been dreading and hoping to hear. She stopped at the door, her eyes sliding to where Roy was leaned against the white walls with his arms crossed and his expression taut. _He’s angry with me,_ she realized. That was to be expected. Roy Mustang was the type of man who would sacrifice himself to ensure his underlings remained out of harm's way. It was a part of him she loved, but also a part of him that made them clash incessantly. She saluted him properly, thankful that it was not _that_ arm that had suffered the injury, and he sighed deeply and straightened up to walk over to her. His eyes fell on her injured shoulder, his expression growing sad.

“Does it hurt?” he asked quietly.

“Not really, sir,” she answered, then swallowed as he suddenly slammed a fist into the door frame beside her head. His expression had turned thunderous, now, and she heard the nurse in the room squeak in alarm. Trying to contain his rage, Roy grabbed her by her good arm and dragged her over to an empty side hallway. “Colonel, sir-" she objected, but he whipped around on her and her words died in her throat.

“I told you to _run away._ What part of that wasn’t clear?” he growled at her. Riza's cheeks flared with anger, but she remained composed as she stood stock-still in front of her superior.

“I wasn’t going to leave you, sir,” she answered firmly.

Earlier that day, Colonel Mustang and his squad had been dispatched to deal with another rogue alchemist. They had been cropping up frequently as of late, leading to many dangerous situations and quite a bit of paperwork. The confrontation had been with a specialist in gun transmutation, and the situation had gotten dicey when they had fallen into an ambush prepared by the perpetrator and his small gang of followers. Having not anticipated a group assault, the colonel had ordered a retreat, but had of course intended to fend off the foes himself. The fool had his pride, and Riza wasn’t going to allow him to die for it. So, she had stayed, and had earned the gunshot wound and their victory. Roy, however, was more concerned about the wound than anything else.

“I had the situation handled,” Roy mumbled grumpily. His anger at her was fading, now that he realized that she was more or less unhurt, but her insubordinance, particularly the kind that ending up with her in harm's way, was a sore spot for him. “I ordered you all to fall back. Why did you stay?”

“I thought you needed some backup, sir,” she answered honestly. _Why doesn’t he understand? It’s my role to protect him,_ she thought in frustration. Roy didn’t take lightly to that, and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. She wanted to yell and scream at him to get it through his thick skull, but she knew that wasn’t her place. _I know he cares about me, but he **has** to understand that I am completely capable of holding my own. _After a minute of stewing, he sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, gazing at her with his intense, dark eyes.

“You have the rest of the day of, Lieutenant. Go home,” he muttered. Riza had no choice but to bow her head in submission. After clapping her lightly on her uninjured shoulder, he walked past her, brushing against her slightly. He paused for a moment. “Lieutenant… Don’t you dare disobey another order.” She felt like a sharp knife slashed through her heart as he said that, and continued to walk away without looking back. She couldn’t help but turn and watch him leave, his cape billowing after him. _Why can’t he understand? I want to protect him,_ she thought miserably.

Riza did as she was bid and returned home to her apartment. Black Hayate picked up on her gloom right away, for when she walked into the door he ran up to her legs and began wagging his tail, whimpering. Smiling slightly, she leaned down to pat him on the head before walking over to the couch and sinking down into the cushions. She leaned back, relaxing as much as she could with her aching shoulder, and Black Hayate hopped up into her lap. Through half-lidded eyes, she stared up at the ceiling while scratching her puppy's head half-heartedly. It was always when she went home alone that her heart ached. _He can be so kind, but sometimes he can be so cruel, too._

The rest of the day passed like a dream as she brooded over the argument. She tried to distract herself by cleaning her gun or reading or playing with Black Hayate, but the damned fool always crept back into her mind. That night, she lay in her bed in her nightdress staring at the ceiling with tears stinging her eyes. _Why? I just want him to understand._

She jolted upright as a knocking sound echoed through the small apartment, and the rapid motion made her gasp as fiery pain bloomed up her arm. She glanced down to see that a red stain was spreading across her bandages. Sighing deeply, she endured the pain to stand up and walk across the apartment to see who was knocking on her door. She unlatched the lock and turned the door, swinging it open. Her eyes widened at the man standing in the doorway.

“Hey,” Roy muttered awkwardly, avoiding her gaze with one hand shoved into his pants pocket and the other clutching a bottle of wine. He was in his civilian clothes.

“Hey,” she stammered back, unsure how to react at the sight of her grumpy superior in her doorstep. He swallowed nervously, fidgeting, before thrusting the bottle into her hands.

“Here. I know you like it. It’s, um… an apology,” he sputtered, and she was shocked to find that his cheeks had grown slightly red. Riza blinked, then chuckled and accepted the gift. _My favorite,_ she thought with a small smile. Roy shoved his other hand in his pocket, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was amazing how confident he was on the job, but all of that melted away when it was just the two of them on the outside. Gazing down at the bottle and feeling her gloom finally fading away, she just stood there in silence until she heard him cough uncomfortably, “You’re bleeding.”

“Oh,” she murmured, returning to reality. Blood was dripping down her arm now, the bandage too full of the substance to absorb any more. “I guess I moved it too much.”

“Come here,” Roy sighed and grabbed her hand, shoving past her to pull her into the kitchen, pausing only to kick the door shut behind them. He plopped her down into one of the kitchen chairs and began rifling through her kitchen drawers, searching for the first-aid kit.

“Third drawer on the left,” she called quietly as she set the wine bottle on the table and leaned back in the chair, not sure how to feel about the situation. Roy found what he was looking for and walked back to where she was sitting, grabbing a chair in spinning it around to drop it in front of her. He sat down in front of her and indicated for her begin taking off the bandages.

“They’re wrapped around my chest, you know,” she told him as she shrugged out of the top of her nightgown, letting it fall around her waist. Thankfully, the wrappings covered her entire bust, but that didn’t stop her from feeling mildly embarrassed. If it bothered Roy, he didn’t show it.

“I’m just going to change the ones on your arm,” he responded as he took out a small pair of scissors and began cutting away the soiled bandages. Riza sat patient and still as he went to work, but the feeling of his fingers brushing across her skin made her heart begin to palpitate. Roy remained strangely quiet as he worked, tossing the ruined bandages onto the table. After a minute her entire upper arm and shoulder was exposed, with just a thin thread of bandages holding the wrappings around her bust in place. She prayed for them to hold. Roy stood up to wet a dishrag, then sat back down in front of her to clean the blood off her arm. It was a lot more than she had realized; soon the soft cloth was stained dark red all over. As the stitches of her gunshot wound came into view, the colonel's hand faltered.

“Sir?” She inquired, wondering why he was staring so intently at her injury. She blushed lightly when he suddenly sighed and leaned his forehead against her upper arm, a few inches down from her stitching.

“It’s my fault,” he muttered suddenly. _He's… blaming himself?_ She blinked. It wasn’t unlike him, but he had been so angry with her before. “I yelled at you, but really I was just projecting my own self-loathing. I shouldn’t have let you get hurt.” Riza gazed down at him for a moment, and then her eyes softened and she reached up to gently pat him on the head, softly stroking his black hair. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed the right thing to do.

 _Here, he’s just Roy, and I’m just Riza,_ she reminded herself as she felt a little awkward. Roy didn’t admonish her, just remained still as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“I think it’s safe to say that we're both to blame here,” he conceded. “You shouldn’t have tried to shoulder everything on your own, but I shouldn’t have been reckless, either.” At that, Roy turned his head to gaze up at her with sad but hopeful eyes. “It happened, though, and if I had to do it again, I would,” she told him firmly. His lips curled into a smile, and he reached up to take her hand as he sat up straight. He held her hand in his for a moment before letting it drop into her lap.

“I guess that’s fair,” he mused quietly. “You’re so stubborn, Riza.”

“You’re just going to have to learn to live with it, sir,” she smiled warmly. _He does understand. He just wants to do the same for me._ That thought made her heart swell, but she refrained from allowing the emotion to show on her face. Roy, seemingly cheered up, finished cleaning off her arm and wound a fresh set of bandages around her arm. When he finished, she slipped back into her nightgown while Roy cleaned up after himself. “Are you leaving?” She asked abruptly as he made for the door.

“I see no reason to stay,” he replied, and she felt slightly sad. Her eyes slid to the bottle of wine.

“I was just thinking it would be a shame to drink this all by myself, sir,” she said casually. He gazed at her long and hard for a moment, and even she wasn’t sure what was going on inside that head of his. Then he smiled, and walked back over to reclaim his empty chair.

“Yes. What a shame that would be,” he winked at her, and grabbed the bottle of wine by the neck. Riza couldn’t help but let the smile spread over her lips.

 _Roy… Someday I’ll be able to tell you just how I feel about you._ The time hadn’t come yet, though. For now, she was just content to drink the night away with him by her side…

 


	4. An Unexpected Addition

Category: Friendship Fluff/Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Go check them out!

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura splashed across the sidewalk, holding their jackets above their heads to stave off the pouring rain. The swell had come along unexpectedly while they were on a trip to the corner store to buy a six-pack of beer for a typical Friday night, and had caught then unawares. As lightning crashed overhead and thunder rolled across the story grey clouds, the trio of young adults hurried through the night to their apartment.

“Agh! This is my favorite jacket!” Naruto whined as he took the steps to the apartment two at a time, grimacing as the water pouring from the roof crashed over him like a violent waterfall, drenching him from head to toe. He shuddered as he felt the streams of storm water running down his back, making him wriggle uncomfortably. He stamped his feet on the mat as he bundled with his friends by the front door, and Sasuke cursed as he fumbled in his pants pockets for the keys.

“This sucks,” the raven-haired boy muttered, flicking his bangs out of his face and sending droplets of water arcing through the air. Finally, the boy managed to retrieve the set of apartment keys and shoved past the blonde-haired boy to stick them into the lock and open the door. Abruptly, Sakura unleashed a shrill scream, and the two boys glanced down to see a furry _something_ darting past their feet to bolt into the entryway and scrabble across the linoleum floor into their kitchen.

“What was that?” Sakura wailed in distress as she clung to Sasuke's back, her jeans leg soaked from where the little creature had shot past her. Naruto raised his eyebrows uncertainly as he stepped into the apartment, following the little wet puddles of water down the hallway and into the kitchen. Whatever it was sat huddled in the corner of the room, trembling violently. It had curled up into a tiny ball, and so it was impossible to tell what exactly it was.

Sakura peered over his shoulder, blinking as water dripped from her bubblegum pink hair, and Sasuke came up on his other side with a raised eyebrow.

“What should we do with it?” Sasuke asked grumpily.

“Poke it with a stick?” Naruto suggested. Sakura blinked, and then grabbed the next best thing- a wooden spoon. She shoved it into his hands and shoved him forward, and the rapid movement startled the little creature, making it squeak in alarm and push itself father into the corner. Naruto swallowed and slowly crouched down, holding out the wooden spoon gingerly toward the little furball. _God, I hope it’s not a rat!_ He thought with a small whine as he squeezed his eyes shut and prodded the sopping wet _thing_ with the end of the spoon. He heard Sakura cry out, and his eyes shot open to see that the little creature had raised its head.

“It’s a kitten,” Sasuke remarked. Indeed, the small, baby cat was gazing at him with wide blue eyes. It was a bedraggled thing with matted gray fur and unusually big ears. The kitten mewed pitifully and came tottering over to him, and Naruto hastily dropped the wooden spoon to pick the kitten up in his hands. It was so tiny that it easily fit in his palm. He held the pathetic creature to his chest and stood up, turning around so the other two could see.

“Oh! It’s so cute,” Sakura cooed and reached out to gently scratch the top of the kitten’s head. Naruto smiled sweetly as he felt it begin to purr loudly. “Awww… Poor little thing. He’s drenched…” she frowned.

“I guess it must have got caught in the rain just like us,” Sasuke remarked, reaching out to grab a dish towel and toss it to Naruto. He caught it and wrapped the kitten in it, rubbing it vigorously to dry its fur and warm it up. The kitten made mewling sounds and squirmed in his grasp, making him snicker. Sakura walked to the cabinet to retrieve a bowl and then to the refrigerator to grab the jug of milk, and then squatted down to pour some milk into the bowl. Naruto bent down and set the kitten back down on the floor, smiling as he watched it totter to the milk sand begin lapping it up eagerly. Due to the vigorous rubbing, it’s fur was sticking out in all directions, like he was some fluffy pincushion.

“He is so precious! Oh, can we keep him?” Sakura laughed as she petted the baby cat happily. She looked up pleadingly at Sasuke, who snorted and looked away as he scratched his neck. Sasuke, being the major provider of the household since he was the only one with a job at the moment and the primary lease holder, had the final say.

“Please, Sasuke?” Naruto pleaded and clapped his hands together in a form of begging.

“Come on, guys, I don’t have the money to take care of some scrawny cat,” he mumbled as he gazed down at the bedraggled creature. It looked up at Sasuke and mewed, milk dripping from its little mouth. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and went lightly pink, then sighed heavily and shoved his feet deep into his pockets. “Ugh. One night, and then we take it to the shelter in the morning,” he compromised and went stomping off through the apartment, shoes squelching as he walked. Sakura and Naruto pouted in disappointment, while the oblivious kitten wobbled about exploring its new environment.

After the three of them had changed into warm clothes, they gathered in the living room with their six-pack of beer to sit in front of the television and watch the Friday night football game. Even though Naruto was the most interested in the sport, they still made a little tradition of it, because it was something to do and an excuse to drink. Naruto propped his feet up on the table and sipped his beer, and an eyebrow crept up as the little gray kitten scampered into the room and began nosing around. It wasn’t long until it sauntered up to the couch and began jumping up, meowing at them.

“Hehe,” Naruto smirked and bent down to grab it by the scruff and pull it onto the couch. It stood up on its tummy and stared at the television, its little tail waving, before yawning and curling up on his belly. It began to purr again, so loudly that its entire body vibrated, and Naruto smiled and stroked the little kitten’s back soothingly.

“Look at it, Sasuke,” Sakura pressed, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's and tugging on it pleadingly. The man gave a sidelong glance at the kitten and sniffed, obviously not impressed. He just took a long swig of his beer and settled down into the couch, staring blankly at the flashing screen.

After finishing off the six-pack and a particularly uninteresting game, the three ended up fast asleep on the living room couch. Sasuke awoke groggily and was perplexed to feel a small weight on his chest, and he glanced down to see that the kitten had wound itself around his neck, snoozing under his chin. His eyes widened slightly at the slightly uncomfortable feeling of the fur against his skin, and as he shifted slightly, the kitten raised its head to stare up at him with wide, curious blue eyes. It meowed quietly, then licked his chin with its tiny, scratchy pink tongue. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. _Now that I think about it… It is kind of cute…_ he thought, reaching up with a finger to scratch it under the chin.

The kitten began to purr loudly, its eyes drifting closed in happiness. A smile formed on Sasuke's face; he couldn’t help it. _Little furball…_

“Well. Looks like Sasuke isn’t that tough after all, huh?” came a snide voice, and Sasuke blushed to see that Naruto was grinning stupidly at him. The cat raised its head at the sound of his voice, then hopped down from Sasuke's chest to crawl up Naruto's and begin licking his chin. His friend snickered and wriggled under the tickling sensation, petting the kitten happily. At the commotion, Sakura stirred and sat up sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

“Ah, he slept with us,” she smiled gently. “He has no idea that he’s about to leave, does he?” she added with a small sigh. Sasuke wrinkled his nose as surprising guilt welled up inside him, and as he watched the little kitten waddle over to Sakura and begin mewing. _She looks so happy,_ he thought as his girlfriend’s face lit up with delight. Talking it a high-pitched, nonsense voice, she began playing with it, flipping it onto its back to tickle its belly. “Haha! It’s a boy!” she laughed.

“… Let’s keep him,” Sasuke said abruptly, and both Sakura and Naruto gasped as they looked up at him in surprise.

“Really? What about all that stuff about not having the money?” Naruto cried.

“Eh. I’ll be getting a promotion soon. Plus, he’s small, he probably doesn’t eat that much,” Sasuke smirked and reached out to pet the kitten. The little thing was still in a playful mood, and so it chomped down onto the end of his index finger, nibbling at it eagerly. “Huh. What do you guys think about naming him Nibbles?” he mused.

“Nibbles,” Naruto nodded in approval. “I think it’s great.”

“Yeah. Nibbles, how do you like that?” Sakura giggled and picked up the cat to hold it up in front of her face. The cat mewed happily, and that was how the three young twenty-somethings landed the unexpected addition to their family.


	5. Hide and Seek

Category: Family Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Himawari Uzumaki

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Go check them out!

Naruto glanced up from the mission report he was writing at the kitchen table when he heard furious footsteps echoing down the hallway. As he straightened up to roll his stiff shoulders, his eyebrows raised as his three-year-old daughter came careening around the corner, her unsteady feet pattering over the wooden floor as she ran up to her father. He could not help but smile at her in her little dress and little shoes. _I really have an adorable daughter!_ He grinned, scooting out his chair as she approached. Giggling, she huffed his leg with chubby arms.

“Daddy! Place hide and go seek with me!” Himawari begged with a wide smile, pulling at the leg of his jumpsuit pleadingly. “Please? Please?” She insisted as he looked back down at the half-finished report. “Mommy is doing laundry, so she can’t play!” As she gazed expectantly up at him with pleading blue eyes, he felt his heart constrict at the thought of refusing her.

“Okay,” he agreed, and she squeaked with delight and stamped her feet as he obediently rose from the kitchen chair. She jumped up to grab him by the hand, and he had to stoop so she could pull him along into the living room.

“Here, Daddy! Sit here!” she commanded eagerly and pointed to the living room couch. He plopped down as bid, and, with some effort, Himawari clambered up beside him and sat up on her knees. “Now close your eyes! No peeking, Daddy!” she warned him as she reached up and closed his eyes with her tiny fingers. As a smile spread across his face, she giggled. “Count to ten- no, twenty!” she demanded. He felt her wriggle down off the couch and landed unsteadily on the living room floor, and then poke him in the knee. “You’re not peeking, right?” She asked suspiciously.

“Of course not!” he huffed proudly, screwing his eyes shut tighter so his daughter could see. “Now, go hide! One… Two…” As he began to count, Himawari screamed and took off into the house, and he heard the feverish pitter-patter of her steps echo throughout the building. He leaned back into the couch with a wide smile, reminded of how blessed he was to have such a wonderful family. “Fifteen… Sixteen…”

“Wait! Wait! I’m not ready!” Himawari wailed, and he heard her run from one end of the house to the other in her desperate attempt to find a hiding spot.

“Nineteen… Nineteen and a quarter… Nineteen and a half… Nineteen and three-quarters… Twenty!” he shouted and opened his eyes, giving a quick sweep around the room before rising from the couch and proceeding into the hallway. He slunk across the wooden floor, snickering. “Come out, come out, where ever you are!” he called into the house, and he froze for a moment when he heard a distant, girlish giggle. Adjusting his course to the sound, he proceeded into the master bedroom.

“Himawaaaaariiiii,” he called with a grin, and as expected, the young girl who thought she was clever couldn’t help but release a stream of laughter. It was much closer now, and he followed the sound to the adjacent spare bedroom. In the curtain was a suspicious Himawari-sized lump. Naruto straightened up, then grinned and made a show of making his rounds around the room. “Are you in here?!” he cried as he wrenched the closer door open, and the lump in the curtain quivered a little. “Nope. How about… under the bed?” he said loudly as he dropped to the floor to look beneath the bed frame. He could see Himawari's little shoes peeking out from beneath the curtain. “Not here, either? Oh, where is my little Himawari?” he sighed deeply and stood up. The lump giggled, then gasped and shushed itself. Naruto clasped his hands behind his back and strolled around the room in fake thought. “Oh, well. I guess she isn’t here!” he announced before leaving the room. He heard his daughter's giggles floating after him.

Naruto made a racket searching the rest of the house, occasionally inciting more laughter from the toddler, before he collapsed onto the living room couch with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t find Himawari anywhere!” he walked, placing a hand over his eyes in mock misery. “I guess she's gone forever… oh, what will I do?” he cried and then began to loudly fake cry. It wasn’t long before the feverish pitter-patter echoed through the house again.

“No, Daddy! Don’t cry! I’m here, I’m here!” she cried as she launched herself at him, and he grinned widely as he caught her under the arms and lifted her high into the air.

“There you are! Oh, I was so worried I would never find you!” he smiled happily and then dropped her into a tight hug.

“Ow! Daddy, you’re squishing me!” Himawari laughed as he rocked her back and forth, hugging her tightly. He propped her up on his knees to kiss her forehead. She smiled brightly at him and squirmed under his assault of affection. “Okay, Daddy! Your turn to hide!” she grinned as she waved her arms emphatically and pointed to the hallway. He set her down on the couch and took off as she covered her eyes and began counting.

 _I really do have the best family!_ He thought with a snicker as he listened to his daughter's voice echoing through the house. _Now, where to hide?_


	6. Mettle as A Wife

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Go check them out!

Nami nervously glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, watching anxiously as the second hand slowly _tick-tick-ticked_ its way around the round surface. As she shifted uncomfortably in the wooden chair, her fingers twiddling and her anxiety rising, she wondered if she had somehow confused the time that Sanji would arrive home, or that he had decided to work late without calling her, or if something unforeseen had arisen to keep him. Sighing forlornly, she slumped down in the chair and pouted at the perfectly set table, complete with her finest dishes and a beautiful centerpiece with a burning candle. _Tonight, I wanted to surprise him with dinner,_ she moped.

Ever since they had been married, Sanji, being a cook by trade, made a habit of cooking dinner when he arrived home from his restaurant. Nami was a meteorologist specializing in ocean weather current and predicting hurricanes, and although it was an intense job, she often arrived home earlier than he did most nights. There was no rhyme or reason to why he insisted on cooking for her, more than he enjoyed both cooking and doting on her, but for once she had decided to treat the man she loved. _But it looks like that isn’t the case,_ she whined silently as she got up to stir the pot of soup still simmering on the stove top.

She had broken into Sanji's recipe book to find something she, a novice at best, was capable of making, but had found the challenge trying. All she had managed to find was a simple beef stew, and to her displeasure it wasn’t romantic in the slightest. Yet, it was all she could do, and so she had slaved away over it to try and replicate his design to the best of her ability. She wasn’t sure how it had come out, in all honesty, and part of her worried that Sanji would take offense to her attempting to best his work. _He loves me. He would never… Right?_

She jumped violently when she heard the door unlock and her husband step into the entryway down the hall, so much so that she flung the ladle and sent soup all over the walls. Scrambling and screaming mentally, she hastily wiped it away with a dishtowel while praying her husband stuck to the habit of taking his time removing his shoes and chef’s jacket. When he finally wandered into the kitchen, she was just finishing up, and she whirled around while flinging the soiled rag aside to beam nervously at him.

“What’s all this?” he asked with a mildly confused expression, unsure whether to stare at her, the set table, or the pot of soup on the stove. Nami discreetly switched off the heat on the stove before bobbing over to him, indicating for him to sit down. Actually, she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him into the chair, making him all the more perplexed.

“I made dinner!” she cried happily, hovering beside him in an attempt to gauge his reaction. “You always treat me, Sanji, so I decided to treat you! That’s okay, right?” Thankfully, Sanji returned her bright smile with one of his own and rose out of the seat to peck her on the cheek, making her blush with delight.

“Of course it is. That makes me happy,” he responded, leaning back in the chair and motioning for her to go about her business. Positively giddy, Nami grabbed his bowl and filled it with rice and stew, bringing it over to him carefully.

“Dinner is served!” she announced theatrically as she set it down in front of him.

“Beef stew?” he asked her, and his tone was hard to read so for an instant she thought he was disappointed. Then he grinned widely and grabbed a spoon to begin shoveling it into his mouth. “I love it!” he cried through mouthfuls.

“Really?!” she gasped, happiness welling up inside her like a balloon. “Oh, I’m so happy! Have some more!” she demanded and snatched the bowl away as soon as he was finished to refill it. He began eating it with gusto again, and as she basked in the praise she bobbed back over to the stove to fix herself a plate. Sanji noticed this and jumped up from the table, laughing nervously as he sidled to her side and took the bowl from her.

“No, no, what are you doing?” he asked her. She glanced up at him, her turn to be perplexed.

“Um… I’m eating?” she answered with a cocked eyebrow. _He’s acting suspicious now._

“But I don’t want you to eat it! I’m selfish; it’s so good, I want it to myself!” he grinned and promptly inhaled the entire bowl of her stew. _What…?_ She thought in utter bewilderment, then gasped in horror. _He doesn’t want me to eat it because it’s bad!_

“No! I wanna taste it!” she snapped and snatched the ladle off the counter to dip it into the pot. Sanji yelped and grabbed the giant stainless steel pot, ripping it away from her and taking off across the house. “Hey! _Sanji!”_ she shouted as she took off after him. She chased him into the living room, climbing over the couch to vault of the cushions and latch onto his back, wrapping her legs around his middle so her arms were free to reach towards the pot.

“Ahh! Nami! I’ll fall!” he cried as he became dangerously unbalanced, the stew sloshing around in the pot and onto his clothes and the floor.

“I don’t care!” she shouted angrily as she struggled to get a scoop of the stew out. “It’s my creation! I wanna taste it!” Somehow, she managed to finally get a ladleful of the stew, and before he could do anything about it, she shoved the whole thing into her mouth. She instantly spat it out and began coughing. _It’s terrible!_ She wailed silently, tears coming to her eyes at both her failure and the abhorrent taste. Having lost, Sanji sighed and set the pot down onto the coffee table, while Nami just clung helplessly onto his back. She buried her face into his neck, sniffling.

“Nami…?” he murmured softly.

“I just wanted to make a good dinner for you…” she sniffed miserably. “I can’t even do that… I’m a failure as a wife.” Sanji exhaled deeply and walked over to the couch, setting her down before crouching down in front of her. She avoided his gaze, staring miserably at her lap.

“Nami. Look at me,” he commanded, and when she would not obey, he put a finger under her chin to lift her face. Her teary eyes met his, and she found them to be a mixture of amusement and love. “Do you really think I gauge your mettle as a wife on your cooking?” he chuckled.

“No…” she mumbled in defeat, her shoulders slumping. He reached up to put his hands on her upper arrms.

“No,” he confirmed. “So what if you can’t cook? That’s what I do for you. There are plenty of other things you do for me,” he told her gently.

“Like what?” she snapped. She was slightly irritated at making such a fool of herself, and damn it, she hated when he was right. He didn’t get angry at her, though; he just laughed.

“Well, you always eat all my cooking. That makes me, as a chef, happy,” he began.

“That’s really not helping,” she huffed, but he raised one of his hands to place a finger over her lips.

“I wasn’t finished. You always set my clothes out for me in the morning,” he continued. _That’s true. I get up earlier than he does. Sanji loves to sleep; if I didn’t set out his clothes, he would be late all the time…_ His list didn’t end there, though. “You do all the shopping, too, and you’re always so careful to make sure that you buy the right things.”

“Well… I wouldn’t want you to have to cancel a meal because you didn’t have the right stuff…” she admitted warily, rubbing her hands together nervously.

“That’s right, and a lot of times you always buy extra things for me,” he nodded. She smiled lightly. _I just can’t help it. I’ll be walking through the aisles and I’ll see something that he might like, and I just can’t help but get it because I know he'll be happy!_ “You always make sure the kitchen is so clean, too.” Sanji hated a dirty kitchen; she knew that, and so she tried to keep it tidy and clean for him every day. _Am I really so useful?_ She thought, feeling her self-doubt fading little by little.

“Those are all things you can do, though,” she protested with a frown. Sanji smiled lovingly and poked her nose.

“True. But there’s something you do that only _you_ can do,” he smiled. Something about that smile, so gentle and full of love, made her heart race. “Nami, you are always here waiting for me. You get me through the roughest of days, because I know when I come home, you’ll welcome me with open arms.” Nami blinked, then blushed and shifted shyly on the couch.

“Yeah… That’s true…” she admitted quietly.

“Please, don’t ever doubt yourself. You’re my wife, and you’re the best wife I could ever have. I wouldn’t want anyone else,” he smiled as he gently stroked her hair.

“Even one that could cook?” she asked.

“Even one that could cook,” he nodded, and then he leaned forward to kiss her softly on the mouth. Nami closed her eyes, accepting his love like he accepted her. _I don’t have to worry about anything,_ she thought blissfully. _Sanji loves me, no matter what. I’ll do things for him that only I can do… I’ll make him the happiest man alive._


	7. The First Time Babysitting

Category: Family Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, and Shikadai Nara

Gaara sat cross-legged on the floor of his sister's home, smiling slightly as he watched his eight-month-old nephew sprawled out on his belly fervently coloring in a coloring book. The boy still hadn’t grasped the concept of staying in the lines yet, but any time he grabbed the book and held it up for his young uncle to see, Gaara made a point to act as if it were the greatest work of art he had ever clapped eyes on. Shikadai would giggle excitedly and then resume working with gusto. _I can’t believe he’s almost a year old already,_ the Kazekage thought with a small sigh. _Next thing you know, I’ll be old…_

“Hey, squirt, throw some blue in there,” Kankuro called to the child with a small smirk. His elder brother, and his advisor, was stretched out on the couch with one leg up and his hands behind his head, watching the little boy in amusement. Shikadai blinked up at him, glanced down at his pile of crayons, and stared thoughtfully at them before grabbing the blue one and holding it up to his other uncle. “Yeah. That one!” Kankuro affirmed, and Shikadai grinned before scribbling madly all over the depiction of a puppy he was currently filling in.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this!” came an irritated cry from the kitchen. Gaara and Kankuro both turned as their sister Temari walked into the room wearing an annoyed expression. “Guys, I’m sorry, but I just realized that there were a few things that I left off the shopping list for dinner tonight. You don’t mind hanging out here while I go get them, do you?”

“Nope. Means I can catch a nap,” Kankuro mused and promptly rolled onto his side to face the back of the couch. Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly as Temari walked across the room and leaned down to pick up Shikadai.

“Come on, you’re going to go shopping with Mommy,” she sighed as she lifted the boy into her arms and squatted down to begin cleaning up his coloring workspace.

“Temari, you don’t have to take him. Kankuro and I can watch him,” Gaara offered. Part of him was just being polite, but another part of him really hoped that she agreed; even though Shikadai was already eight months old, he had never actually babysat his nephew for any extensive amount of time. At his brother's offer, Kankuro made a choking sound and abruptly say up with wide eyes. Temari narrowed hers.

“Are you sure?” She asked, her expression betraying hesitation. “I’ll be gone for an hour or two, and Shikadai _is_ a handful sometimes…”

“If I can handle leading the Allied Shinobi Forces to war, I can handle babysitting a toddler,” he frowned up at her. Kankuro whined loudly and flopped back into the couch cushions, but made no move to openly object. Temari glanced down at her precious baby, weighing the options, then nodded and stopped down to set Shikadai back down onto the rug.

“All right. Let me get my things together, and I’ll explain what you need to do,” she agreed and walked out of the room. Gaara smiled at his young nephew and reached out to gently poke him in the forehead.

“Looks like you and I are going to be getting to know each other better.” He grimaced and hurriedly withdrew his hand as Shikadai clamped his mouth on his index finger; slightly disgusted, Gaara wiped off the baby's saliva on his hand while Kankuro snorted with laughter.

About fifteen minutes later, Shikadai was sitting in a high chair banging a plastic spoon around while the two brothers stood with their sister in the doorway.

“Okay. Make sure he eats all of this. He’s picky, so it may take a while,” Temari instructed as she held a jar of baby food out to them. Gaara took it with a nod. “Are you sure you guys don’t need me to explain how to change a diaper again?” She asked with raised eyebrows.

“Come on, Temari, it’s not that hard. We can do it,” Kankuro frowned as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked doubtfully at the toddler. Temari sniffed, but did not refute him.

“He shouldn’t want to take a nap until after I get back, but on the off chance he does get tired, he usually likes a lullaby before you lay him down into the crib,” she added with a fretful look at Shikadai. He heard Kankuro mutter, “I am _not_ singing to that brat.” “Make sure not to feed him too fast, he may get a stomachache. If he does, I have medicine-"

“Temari,” Gaara interjected with a small smile. “We'll take care of him. Promise. Leave it to us.” Temari blinked at him, then sighed deeply and nodded slowly. Then, with a small wave to her child, she bowed her head to her brothers and exited the house. Gaara closed the door after her, and turned to look at his nephew, who had begun screaming and bouncing in his high chair.

“What have you gotten us into?” Kankuro groaned, then hastily ducked as Shikadai flung the spoon at the front door. The boy laughed hysterically as the utensil landed into Kankuro's brown hair. Gaara smiled and clapped his brother on the back before gripping the jar of baby food and proceeding into the kitchen. Kankuro cursed before following after him with the spoon.

“Okay, Shikadai, it’s time to eat,” Gaara said as he opened the tiny jar and retrieved the spoon from his brother. He scooped up a small spoonful of the party substance and held it to Shikadai's mouth. The boy blinked, then abruptly cried out and flung the spoon away. Gaara jumped as pureed peas and carrots splattered across his face and into his hair. Kankuro blinked, then fell to the floor in a hysterical fit of laughter, while Gaara sighed deeply and cleaned off his face with a napkin. “Shikadai. You have to eat this. Your mother said so,” he frowned and tried again. This time, Shikadai flung the spoon into Kankuro's face, which made him feel slightly better about the whole situation.

“Oh, come on, you little brat,” Kankuro frowned as he wiped his face off with a black sleeve. Snatching the jar and spoon from Gaara, he scooped up the baby food and held it out, but far enough out of Shikadai's reach that it would not be flung a third time. The baby stuck out his tongue before turning his nose up at it.

“I think we have to convince him it’s good,” Gaara frowned.

“What? Ugh, fine,” Kankuro grumbled before chomping down on the spoon. Gaara raised an eyebrow as a visible shudder ran from his brother's toes to the tip of his hair, but to his credit, he swallowed and forced a smile. “See, it’s good. _Now eat it_ ,” he huffed and tried again. Shikadai stared at it thoughtfully before inching forward and opening his mouth obediently. Laughing lightly, Kankuro put the spoon in his waiting mouth, and Shikadai ate it and smacked his lips together, a little bit of the baby food leaking out of his mouth.

“Well, that’s a start,” Gaara sighed as Shikadai looked expectantly up at Kankuro and opened his mouth again.

“Yeah. It’s kinda cute,” Kankuro smiled lightly and spooned more of the mixture into the baby's mouth. After that, it was quite easy to get Shikadai to finish off the jar, and after cleaning up the toddlerXs face they brought him back into the living room and set him down on the rug. “Now what?” Kankuro blinked as they both stared down at the baby, who was sitting on his behind staring right back at them. They both cried out in alarm as he abruptly began to wail.

“Ah! What’s wrong with him?” Gaara cried.

“Don’t ask me!” Kankuro yelled back. Shikadai raised his hands to his eyes as he cried harder, tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.

“Waaaaaah! Maaaamaaaaa!” he sobbed.

“Eh? He wants Temari!” Kankuro realized, then, with a strained smile, he reached out and awkwardly patted Shikadai's head. “Your mom went to the store. She’ll be back soon, Shikadai. Don’t you want to have fun with your uncles?” Shikadai screamed so loud that Gaara’s rang and slapped Kankuro's hand, making his brother scowl and snap his arm back, cradling it against his chest. “What do we do?” he hissed to Gaara.

“Uh… Uh… What do babies like? Oh!” he gasped and covered his face with both hands. “Peek-a-boo!” he cried and revealed his face, leaning forward. Shikadai stopped wailing and stared at him miserably, sniffling with snot running down his face. _It’s working._ Gaara covered his face again. “Where's Shikadai?” he asked, then uncovered his face and shot forward again. “There he is!” Shikadai jumped, then giggled and waved his arms in excitement. The toddler then turned to Kankuro, who just stared. Gaara nudged him roughly in the ribs with his elbow.

“What? Oh, man. Fine,” he sighed and covered his face. “Wherrrrrre's Shikadai?” he asked, then repeated his brother's actions. “There he is!” Delighted now, Shikadai laughed uncontrollably. Grinning, the two brothers took turns playing peek-a-boo with the little boy until they were both panting from the effort and Shikadai had fallen onto his back and was kicking his stubby feet into the air. Abruptly, they both wrinkled their noses as a foul smell wafted up from the baby's diaper.

“Oh no,” Gaara frowned as he straightened up.

“I guess we have to change it,” Kankuro nodded. They retrieved the diaper bag Temari had left for them and settled Shikadai on his back on the floor, then frowned as they gazed hesitantly down at the task at hand. “Uh. You do it!” his brother cried and thrust the clean diaper at him.

“You’re the older one. You do it,” Gaara shook his head and thrust it back. Despite what he had said to Temari, this seemed to be a much bigger problem than he had anticipated.

“What happened to ‘I led the Allied Shinobi Forces; I can do anything’?” Kankuro shot back in a mocking voice and slammed him in the chest with the diaper. Gaara felt the wind get knocked out of him, and now that his pride was bruised, he glared at Kankuro and snatched the absorbent underpants haughtily and situated himself in front of the cooing baby. He felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face as he tried to recall Temari brief instructions. _Okay… First I undo these straps here,_ he recalled and reached down, pulling off the velcro-like straps that secured the diaper. As it dropped open, both he and Kankuro covered their noses and almost retched.

“What died?!” Kankuro wailed with watery eyes. Gaara steeled his nerves and glanced back down at the soiled diaper, having found a new respect for mothers and his sister, and held his breath as he returned to the task. Quickly, he grabbed Shikadai gently by the ankles and lifted him up to wipe his little behind and replace the soiled diaper. Kankuro quickly wrapped it up and jumped up to dispose of the vile thing into the outside trashcan, while Gaara wrestled with placing the new diaper on his nephew.

“No, stay still,” he huffed as Shikadai started to roll onto his belly. Struggling with the straps, he looked up unconfidently at his brother when he returned, who grabbed Shikadai under the arms to hold him up. They both watched miserably as the diaper fell to the floor with a soft _plop._

“Well, that’s not right,” Kankuro sighed. Shikadai blinked at them, and then the brothers cried out in disgust as the little boy suddenly decided that it was a good time to empty his bladder. Looking forlornly down at his wet front, Kankuro laid the boy back down and tried to hold onto the last shred of his patience. “You are as annoying as your father,” he grumbled as he snatched up another diaper and fumbled to put it onto the wriggling child. After a few more tries and another unexpected bath, they managed to produce an acceptable product.

“I never want kids,” Kankuro huffed as he watched Shikadai stack blocks on the living room floor. Gaara pulled at the collar of his uncomfortably wet shirt and nodded in agreement. By the time their clothes had dried, they were wondering where Temari was. Suddenly, Shikadai yawned loudly and looked at them, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Tired,” he mumbled and promptly flopped over onto his side. Gaara sighed and rose to his feet to walk over to the baby and lift him into his arms.

“All right. Let’s get you to bed,” he huffed and stepped gingerly over the scattered blocks to walk to the baby's bedroom. He flipped on the lights and walked over to the crib, laying him gently down onto his back and putting a stuffed animal beside him. Shikadai screamed in protest and launched it at the red-haired man's face. “What? What did I do wrong?” Gaara shouted and picked the boy back up, holding up the crying baby.

“Didn’t Temari say something about a lullaby?” Kankuro called from the doorstep. Gaara glanced back as his older brother walked into the room and took the young boy out of his hands and propped him up on his chest. Frowning awkwardly, he began to bounce slowly back and forth while humming a soft tune under his breath. Shikadai cried for another minute or so, then began to settle down as Kankuro paced the room and hummed louder. Soon enough, the boy was snoring softly with his head propped on Kankuro’s shoulder.

“Whoa. You’re not half bad at this,” Gaara remarked as his elder brother laid the sleeping child down in the crib, then straightened up and stretched his arms over his head to crack his back.

“Jeez, who knew babies were so heavy?” he groaned, then yawned loudly and cracked an eye open to gaze thoughtfully down at their nephew. “… You know, I don’t think having a kid would be half-bad either.” Gaara looked down at Shikadai, with one arm around a stuffed animal and the other held up by his face as his slept soundly.

“Yeah,” he smiled softly.

 

 

Temari cursed under her breath as she propped the bag of groceries against the front door and fumbled for the keys.

“I can’t believe I got carried away talking to Sakura… Those boys must be ready to pull their hair out!” she sighed as she retrieved what she was searching for and unlocked the door. The house was strangely quiet as she entered, and she raised her eyebrows as she walked to the kitchen and set the bag down. She walked into the living room, where the only evidence of her son was the blocks scattered across the floor. She stopped down to collect them in her arms and dump them into the nearby toy chest and then stood, putting her hands on her hips. _Where are they?_

On a hunch, she walked down the hall and found the door to her son's room closed. She gently turned the doorknob and poked her head inside, and then smiled softly.

Her son was snoring softly in his crib. On the floor, her two brothers were sprawled on their backs, dead to the world. _Little fools tried their hardest, didn’t they?_ She thought as she tip-toed into the room and walked over to the crib. She watched her son sleep for a moment, then leaned down into the crib to press a kiss to his forehead. She straightened up and looked down, then smiled and squatted down beside each of her brothers, kissing them on their cheeks.

“Sleep well, my boys,” she murmured before rising to her feet and exiting the room, quietly shutting the door behind her and walking back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.


	8. Valentine's Day

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Go check them out!

Hinata stood over the bubbling pot of chocolate, frowning deeply as she gazed down at the instructions of the back of the homemade chocolate kit box and stirred the thick liquid slowly. _I hope I’m doing this right,_ she thought as she read over the recipe instructions for the hundredth time. _I’ve been making chocolate for Naruto for a few years now, but… I still get unnerved,_ she thought with a small sigh and set the box down, continuing to stir the mixture to ensure it didn’t burn. It was Valentine's Day, after all, and she wanted the day to go perfectly.

She cried out in alarm as the it suddenly began to bubble faster, and one of them burst and splashed all over her unprotected hand. Her skin burned with a fierce fire as the boiling-hot chocolate seared her skin, sending tendrils of pain writhing up her arm. Tears stinging her eyes, she hardly dialed down the heat before running to the sink to run cold water over her hand, whimpering at the intense pain. When she withdrew her hand, her knuckles and the top of her hand were burning red.

“Ow,” she whined and gingerly rubbed the skin, wincing when it flared with intense pain. “Oh, the chocolate!” she cried in alarm and rushed back to the stove to grab the wooden spoon and churn the chocolate furiously. It had thickened, even in the short amount of time, but thankfully it had not burned yet. _Phew. It’s almost ready!_ She thought and switched off the heat. She carried the pot over to the counter and began gingerly pouring it into the molds, using the spoon to scoop it into the plastic divets. The heat rising from the molten chocolate made her hand burn all the more terribly, and she held back tears as she finished up scooping out the chocolate and set the dirty pot in the sink. She retrieved the filled molds and set them in the freezer, sighing at the momentary relief of the cool air on her hand.

While she waiting for the chocolates to cool and solidify, she gingerly wrapped her burned hand in small bandages. The feeling of the wrappings on her sensitive skin just made it burn worse, but there was little she could do about it. She tried to find things to do to distract herself from the pain, like reading a book and cleaning up a little, but it always crept back like some kind of insistent puppy begging for attention. By the time she was taking the chocolates out of the freezer and preparing them on a plate for her husband, she was on the borderline of tears.

“Hinata! I’m home!” Naruto's voice floated in through the entryway and into the kitchen. She hastily hid her burned hand in her jacket sleeve, and for once she was grateful that she preferred loose sweaters. As soon as she did, her husband's cheerful face popped into view as he walked through the entrance of the kitchen. “Ooh! Smells good. Chocolate?” he grinned widely, blushing as he recalled what day it was. “Hinata, you didn’t have to do this for me,” he smiled shyly as he walked around the table to kiss her on the forehead.

“I wanted to, Naruto…” she flushed in slight embarrassment, casting her gaze down so that he wouldn’t see the moisture in her eyes. _My hand hurts so much…_ she thought as he plopped down into a chair and licked his lips as he eyed the chocolates hungrily. He then blushed and looked up at her like a begging puppy, seemingly asking her permission. “Go ahead!” she laughed. “I made them for you.”

“All right!” he cried happily and grabbed one in each hand, shoving them into his mouth. Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle. Naruto was a grown man now, but he still acted the same as when they were children. It was like part of him never had grown up. Hinata eased herself down into the chair beside him, careful to keep her hand out of sight as they talked about his day at work. It didn’t take him long to scarf down the chocolates, and as he chewed on the last one he leaned back in the chair and exhaled happily.

“Man, that was awesome. You’re too good to me,” he mused, pulling her by the back of her head to kiss her temple. His gratitude made her flush with happiness. “Oh! I almost forgot!” he cried abruptly and began fishing around in his pockets. Snickering proudly, he procured a long jewelry box. “Here, give me your hand, Hinata,” he commanded eagerly, reaching for her injured hand. She stiffened and scooted away, making him raise an eyebrow. _Oh no! Now he's suspicious!_ She thought in panic. Before she could react, Naruto snatched her by the wrist and jerked up her jacket sleeve. “Hey… What’s wrong with your hand?” he asked quietly, the grip on her relaxing when he saw the bandages around her fingers. His rough movement had caused the pain to flare brightly, and she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

“I… I burned myself,” she admitted quietly. _He must think I’m so clumsy…_ she thought as he stared sadly down at the bandages. She gasped as he abruptly lifted her hand to his mouth to softly kiss the injured areas of her hands. “Naruto!”

“Hinata… Even with your burned hand, you made these chocolates for me?” he asked quietly, lifting his face slightly so that his blue eyes gazed into her own. She nodded, struck silent by his passionate stare. “As much as I love the chocolate, Hinata, I wish you wouldn’t hurt yourself like this…” he murmured, kissing her hand again. Strangely, she found the burning pain beginning to subside. “It makes me sad…” he whispered against her skin.

“I’m sorry, Naruto… I was just so worried that they wouldn’t come out right that I got careless,” she sighed deeply. He ran his thumb slowly across the top of her hand in rhythmic circles and she was surprised to find that it soothed the pain further. _It doesn’t burn anymore…_

“You don’t have to worry about things like that. As long as you made it, Hinata, I don’t care how it comes out. I’ll eat it,” he told her with a big smile. “Because I know that it’s made with your love, and nothing in this world could be better than that.” _Naruto!_ She thought, her heart nearly full to bursting with love. She nodded vigorously, unable to answer from the overflow of emotion. He seemed to understand, though, and kissed her hand one more time before opening the jewelry box and placing a glittery bracelet around her wrist. “Happy Valentine's Day, Hinata,” he smiled gently as he fastened the bracelet.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Naruto,” she answered quietly. She admired the pretty accessory, knowing she would treasure it until the end of her days. She glanced up as she felt Naruto move, and then his lips were against her own. Her heart swelling, she closed her eyes and abandoned herself to the feeling of his kiss.

_I love you, more than anything in the world. I would gladly take a burned hand, over and over again, if it means I can spend all my Valentine's Days with you._


	9. The Man I Know and Love

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: farrah87 (Ao3)

Nami lingered in the spacious bathroom after the other girls had left, sitting at a mirror brushing her long, tangerine-orange hair. As she rhythmically drew the brush through the luscious waves, her body moved robotically; in truth, she was not sitting there for the sake of her own vanity. Her heart was troubled, trying to piece itself together after the heartbreak she had experienced when Luffy had attempted to retrieve Sanji from the carriage of the Germa 66. Sighing deeply, she set down the hand brush and looked down at the tiled floor, still covered in bathwater and soap bubbles.

 _He looked so terrifying,_ she thought with a shudder as she recalled the expression of pure rage that had distorted the face of the man she held dear to her heart, the man who had so many times before fought alongside her and the rest of the Straw Hat crew, and had sworn his undying love to her time and time again. A wry smile formed on her lips. “Not that he ever means it,” she mumbled as she rose from the small stool to begin pulling on her clothes. Though she told herself that, she could not hide the fact that after all this time, he had somehow worked his way into her heart, slipping past what she once thought was an impenetrable wall.

After getting dressed, she exited the bathroom and proceeded down the hallway of the spacious manor-slash-fortress. The meeting with Bege, the formidable pirate who had stolen Sanji right from under them and major figure in Big Mom's crew who was now supposedly allying with them to take the psychotic woman down, was within the next thirty minutes. She walked purposefully down the hall, but as she turned the corner, her steps faltered and her breath caught in her throat. There, standing a few yards away, was the man they had all be fighting so desperately to recover from the clutches of Big Mom.

“Sanji,” she breathed, almost reflexively. At the sound of her voice, the blonde-haired man lifted his head to glance over his shoulder. His eyes lit up with childlike happiness when he noticed it was her.

“Nami~” he cried blissfully, but for once Nami stayed where she was, gazing at him with apprehension. Though Luffy had explained the situation fully, there was still some part of her that could not forget the outrage of his expression, the harshness of his words as he savagely beat Luffy right in front of her own eyes. _And then there's **her** , _she thought, feeling like a dagger pierced through her heart as the image of the cute, seemingly innocent Pudding flashed into her mind. Though Sanji now know her true intentions, did it matter? He had a weakness for beautiful women, and there was no questioning the girl's appeal- when it came down to it, would he choose her regardless of the danger? Would he freeze? She bit down on her bottom lip as Sanji's expression gradually phased from elated to perplexed. “Nami? What is it?” he asked.

“I told you that I hadn’t forgiven you yet, and that I put it on hold for the sake of getting out of here,” she told him with more sharpness in her voice than she had intended. Sanji flinched visibly at the harshness of her tone, and he cast his gaze guiltily to the floor. Nami's emotions were now bubbling on the surface, and she could contain them no longer. She balled up her fists as her hands began to shake violently. “You beat Luffy to a bloody mess. He went through hell trying to get you out, you know that?” she snapped at him. “All of us did! And you have the gall to say those things to us?” she cried angrily. As she stood there, quivering, she was astonished to find tears pouring down her cheeks. “I was so afraid, Sanji. I was afraid we would lose you forever… But I was more afraid that you really thought those terrible things about us… Part of me still is…” she whimpered, reaching up to angrily wipe away the tears, but they flowed freely despite her attempts to cease them. Sanji just stared down at the ground, his shoulders hunched with guilt. Nami continued to cry for a few minutes before he worked up the courage to venture closer, stopping right in front of her. Half-angry and half-sad, she just puffed out her cheeks in defiance as he gazed down at her with a complex expression.

“I’m not going to say that I did it the right way,” he sighed deeply, avoiding meeting her eyes. “They put me between a rock and a hard place. They threatened the Baratie, and they threatened all of you, and I just couldn’t handle the pressure of having all that blood on my hands if I messed up.” He looked down at his hands miserably. “They even threatened to blow off my hands if I tried to escape… Everywhere I looked, I was cornered, and I thought that the only way out, the only way to keep everyone safe, was to just go along with it.” He closed his eyes as he heaved a deep sigh. “Of course, that was before I knew Pudding was a murderous psychopath.”

Nami stiffened at the mention of the girl's name, and she saw the brief smile that formed on Sanji's face as he recalled the beautiful woman.

“What if she wasn’t?” she asked quietly, and he raised his eyebrows at her. “Sanji… If Luffy had decided to make the deal with Bege still, and Pudding was innocent in all of this…” She trailed off, her bottom lip beginning to quiver at the fear of what he would say in response to her. “Would you have abandoned us?” she finished with a small whisper. Sanji remained silent for a long time before she felt him gently cup her chin in his hand to lift up her face. Normally, she would shun such actions and cast them aside as playful gestures, but when her eyes met his she became frozen with the intensity of feeling that burned within his eyes.

“Of course I wouldn’t,” he told her firmly, his eyebrows narrowing as he regarded her intently. “My home is the Thousand Sunny, and my family is the Straw Hats.” His expression softened as he smiled down at her, and she shuddered slightly as she felt his hand slide from below her chin to gently rest against her cheek, his fingertips gently brushing her lingering tears away. “And most importantly, the only woman that can ever really have my heart is you, Nami,” he purred. Nami's heart skipped a beat. This time, it felt real, like he was truly professing his feelings to her.

“Do you mean that?” she asked him quietly, reflexively leaning into the hand that was caressing her.

“Every word of it,” he nodded with a smile. Nami felt the warm feeling of happiness bubbling up inside her as she stared up at him in relief. _I had nothing to worry about after all… He's still the Sanji I know and love,_ she thought as a smile spread over her lips. As she remained absorbed by her flooding emotions, she did not notice that Sanji's face had drawn close until their lips were centimeters apart.

“San-" she began to protest, but could not finish as his lips enclosed her own in a passionate kiss. Nami's chest tightened as her breath was stolen by the heat of their lips moving against hers, and her body tensed up before relaxing as she melted under the intensity of the love she felt radiating from the small action. They lingered there in the hallway for only a few precious moments, but in those seconds Nami felt as if more words passed between the two of them than they had ever shared in all the time they had known one another. She felt loneliness pervade her as he pulled back, and she fought the urge to reach out and pull him in for another. He smirked down at her, pleased with himself, and then promptly turned on his heel, his cape fluttering as he began walking briskly over the tiled floor. Nami was left breathless with her heart pounding and her lips still tingling with the feeling of Sanji's kiss.

“Come on,” he laughed back at her. “We wouldn’t want to be late to the tea party, now would we?” Nami blinked as reality slowly returned to her, and she stamped her feet angrily before she marched after him.

“Sanji! You hopeless flirt!” she huffed, and his laughter echoed off the stone walls, mingling with the furious clicking of her shoes. Still, even as she seethed with annoyance, her heart still fluttered like she was floating on air.

She knew now that the man before her was indeed the man she had fallen in love with, and that was enough.


	10. An Understanding Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye

“Yes. What a shame that would be,” Roy agreed as he smirked at her and grabbed the wine bottle by the neck. Riza felt her lips curl into the tiniest of smiles as she rose from the chair to walk over to one of her cabinet drawers, pulling it open to rifle through the contents in search of a cork remover. She retrieved the small device and tossed it over to the waiting man, who deftly caught it and began working away at the cork while Riza crossed the kitchen to grab two wine glasses from a nearby cabinet. She frowned when she realized she had placed them in the back of the top shelf, a consequence of not drinking wine too terribly often. She sighed under her breath and stood up on her tip-toes, pushing glasses aside as she struggled to reach the pair of glasses in the back of the cabinet. She unconsciously placed the hand of her injured arm onto the counter and out her weight on it, and immediately a spasm of pain wracked her entire side. She dropped down onto the flats of her feet, clenching her teeth as she waited for the fiery pain to subside.

“You really are determined to re-open that wound, aren’t you?” came a small sigh from behind her. She went red as she realized that Roy was standing close behind her, so close in fact that he brushed against her as he reached up above her head to easily retrieve the two wine glasses from the back of the cabinet. He seemed unperturbed at the proximity, however. “Really. You could have just asked for help,” he tutted, the wine glasses clinking in his hand as he shut the cabinet door and glanced down at her. Riza pursed her lips slightly and looked away, mostly so he could not see her blushing.

“I’m not used to having a gunshot wound, you know. I just wasn’t thinking about it,” she huffed and grabbed the wine glasses out of his hand. He raided an eyebrow at her as she pushed past him to return to the table and fill the wine glasses. She glanced over her shoulder, pausing to push her loose blonde hair behind her ear. “Well? Are you going to just stand there?” She frowned at him. He was staring at her funny, but before she could ask, he regained his normal, stoic composure and crossed the small room to join her at the table. Riza eased herself down into the chair and brought the wine glass to her lips, staring thoughtfully out the window at the night sky as she sipped at the alcohol. She couldn’t help but smile when she remembered the fact that Roy bought it especially for her, even keeping in mind what her favorite brand was.

“I wonder how the Elric brothers are doing,” he cut in suddenly, and she turned back to him to find him staring down into the contents of the wine glass, swirling the same liquid around with a slightly sad look.

“They’re tough boys,” Riza remarked as she leaned back into the chair. “I’m sure they’re doing quite well. They’re determined to get their bodies back.” She paused for a moment, cocking her head to the side slightly as a smile came to her lips. “I wonder what they would think about you sitting here worrying about them,” she mused, and he looked up at her in mild irritation.

“I’m not worried,” he snorted, but his defensiveness was a perfect indicator for otherwise. “I know they’re tough. They’re also reckless and attract trouble, so I just-"

“Worry?” She laughed and sipped playfully at the wine. She had caught him in the lie, and he just glared at her for a second before throwing up a hand in defeat and taking a long drink of the wine. She chuckled softly. As much as he hated it, she could read him like a book; he couldn’t get anything past her. Though he would never admit it, especially to Edward Elric, he cared about the young boys far more than a superior should. How could he not? They had come upon them after such a terrible, horrible incident, at their very lowest. _Children should not suffer that way,_ she thought as she gazed thoughtfully at Roy. _Though he was ready to employ them as child soldiers, he knows this._

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Roy asked gruffly as he grabbed the wine bottle to pour himself another glass. Riza flushed pink, mildly embarrassed to have been caught staring.

“I was just thinking, that’s all,” she answered evasively as she finished off her glass. Roy motioned for her to hold it out, and he poured another healthy dose of the alcohol into it. He just sniffed disdainfully at her answer before sipping at the wine again, leaning back on two legs of the chair as he glanced out of the window.

“… You know who was fun to drink with back in the day?” he smiled. “Hughes.”

“Mm. You and him would sit in the tents getting drunk on bourbon and whiskey, and the like,” she recalled with a small nod. “And Armstrong would scold you for it when he caught you, and then you would all get into a squabble and trash half the camp,” she added with a chuckle after Roy’s expression turned from nostalgic to uncomfortable.

“Were we really that rowdy?” he frowned as he scratched the back of his head. Riza looked down into the wine, swishing it a little as images of the old days in the war danced in the dark, reddish-purple depths. _You'd all drink the pain away,_ she thought sadly. _But it was never enough. Those scars won’t ever fade, no matter how much you try to drown them._ She peered up at Roy through her eyelashes. It had been during the war that she had fallen in love with him, and sworn to protect him with her life. _And here we are. I’m injured, and he’s here babysitting me,_ she thought with a slight pang of shame. She hastily downed the rest of the wine and refilled her glass, trying desperately to shut out such negative thoughts. “What are you thinking about now?” Roy asked her abruptly with a smirk, and she blinked at him in confusion. “You were staring at me again. Or this time, was it just my rugged good looks?” he joked.

“Please,” she snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. The wine is going to your head already.” Roy laughed at that, and she couldn’t help but smile. She liked him best when he was like this, without his inhibitions and the propriety of military conversations, free to laugh and smile. He laughed for a minute or two before sighing contentedly and rocking back and forth in the chair, staring out into space as he pondered whatever was on his mind.

“I didn’t realize how much I needed this,” he admitted quietly. He ran a hair through his midnight-black hair, and Riza blinked at him as she set the wine glass down on the table. “All I think about is work. Even when I’m at home,” he frowned and tapped his temple sadly. She couldn’t blame him. In their line of work, they say the worst things, the scum of humanity- and the border between them and those kind was blurry. They saw and did the kinds of things that weighed heavily on people's shoulders. Even a proud, capable man like Roy Mustang would feel the pressure at the end of the day, when he was alone with his thoughts.

“Changing the world isn’t an easy thing,” she remarked casually, leaning forward and resting her arm on the table. She was consciously aware that their hands were separated by a few centimeters. “It's a little easier when you have good friends, though,” she added with a small smile. Perhaps the alcohol made her bold, but she reached out and gently enclosed his hand with hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Roy looked down at their joined hands, quiet. Thinking she may have made him uncomfortable, she attempted to retreat, but found that he tightened his grip and would not let her pull away. After a few tense seconds, he reluctantly relinquished his hold and allowed her to pull her hand back down to her lap. She regretted it slightly as she felt his warmth fade, and Roy said nothing, only downed the rest of the glass and poured himself another. Together, they had already worked their way through half of the bottle.

“Yeah. You’re right,” he smiled after a second, and she was relieved to see that he looked more at ease now. _I want to help him in any way I can,_ she thought happily.

Suddenly, they both jumped as they heard the rapid skittering of paws on the wooden floor, and they turned toward the entryway just in time to see a very excited Black Hayate running towards then with a rapidly wagging tail and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He bypassed Riza and bee-lined for Roy, jumping up into his lap and licking his face happily. Riza couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the comical scene of the serious man attempting to combat the dog's shower of affections.

“Black Hayate, down,” she commanded after a fit of giggles, and rose to her feet. As she did so, however, she felt the entire world lurch under her feet, and she grabbed onto the chair for support. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, and breathless. _What? I can take much more alcohol than that. What’s wrong with me?_ She thought in slight panic.

“I think that’s enough wine for tonight,” Roy frowned, and ceased trying to be gentle with the dog. He pushed him roughly off of him and stood up quickly as Riza wobbled unsteadily over to the counter, fumbling for a glass to try and get herself some water in the hopes it would sober her up. Roy caught her groping hand, making her stop to look up at him. _He has that worried look on his face again,_ she realized. _Like when he was looking at my wound…_

“I-I don’t get it,” she stammered as she turned around to lean against the counter while Roy fetched her a glass of water.

“You lost a good amount of blood,” he noted as he gently wrapped her hands securely around a cup of water. She brought it to her mouth to find that her hands were shaking violently. “The wine may have brought on a fit of something like anemia,” he hypothesized with a frown. Riza said nothing, only tried to gulp down the water without spilling it all over herself. Black Hayate whined as he paced around her feet and butted her legs with his head. As she drank the water, she felt the dizziness subside slightly, but she suddenly felt exhausted and weak.

“Ah… Thanks… Well, I ruined a fun time,” she mused with a strained smile. In truth, she was quite upset for two reasons; one, she hated to be seen as weak, especially in front of Roy, and two, she didn’t want the night to end quite yet. Her body had other plans, however, and as she tried to straighten up she wobbled precariously and grabbed onto the closest thing to her for support- which happened to be Roy.

He blinked down at her as her hand gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly, and she leaned against his broad chest. As soon as she realized what she had done, she hastily retreated to the safety of the counter, trying her best not to turn red. “Sorry,” she mumbled. _Ugh. Look at me. I’m a mess. Is this how a Lieutenant should act?_ She thought in frustration. “I had better get to bed. You can let yourself out, right?” She told him without meeting his gaze, turning her back to him to begin shuffling across the room, leaning against the counter and eventually the kitchen wall to guide her. Black Hayate padded along beside her, offering a steadying bump whenever she stumbled.

Suddenly, her feet gave out from under her, and she found herself being held snugly in Roy's arms. “Wh-what the hell are you doing?” She cried in alarm, attempting to get down.

“Hold still, will you?” he whined down at her, seemingly completely unperturbed as he began carrying the woman across the house. Riza was forced to shut her mouth and resign herself to the awkward situation, and she groaned slightly as she settled into his arms. She was painfully aware of his muscles beneath his shirt. _I am shameless,_ she thought guiltily. Roy said nothing as he bore her to the bedroom, pausing to flip on the light before carrying her over to the bed and gently lowering her onto the mattress. He leaned over her for a second, the sighed deeply. “You don’t have to put on a front, you know. It’s okay to rely on me sometimes,” he added after a moment, not meeting her eyes. _Roy…_ she thought as her heart fluttered slightly. He smiled slightly up at her, that cocky little smile she loved. _Does he know the things he does to me?_ She thought as she stared straight-faced down at him, but her heart was pounding. Their faces were close. Definitely close enough to kiss. She could, if she wanted to; unconsciously, she was leaning forward, all her will bent on him.

Then Black Hayate jumped on the bed and knocked her onto her back.

“Ow… I’m fine. I’m fine!” she groaned as she dog licked her face excessively, and after a minute of her batting lightly at his face, he settled down and curled up at the foot of the bed. Riza didn’t even bother to sit up, just laid there on her back as she regretted that the situation hadn’t come to pass and scolded herself for even attempted it. Roy cleared his throat, and she turned her head to look up at him.

“Well. I’ll let myself out,” he said tersely, and as he turned his back to her, before she could stop herself her hand shot out to grab the hem of his shirt.

“Stay,” she blurted. He looked over his shoulder at her, and expression of surprise on his face. “You said I could rely on you, right?” She continued quietly. “So stay.” _I don’t want to be without you tonight._ Perhaps she was needy for that, or the alcohol had gone straight to her head, but right now she wanted nothing more than his presence beside her. She tightened her grip on the hem of his shirt, and he stared down at her for a moment before turning his face to the door. He then sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Okay. Okay, I’ll stay,” he agreed and clapped his hands together awkwardly. She could see the tenseness in his body disappear, though, as he walked around the side of the bed to flop down on the mattress beside her. “Probably shouldn’t be walking home drunk anyway,” he chuckled as he reached down to scratch Black Hayate’s head. Roy wasn’t even close to being inebriated, she knew that, but still she was grateful for him trying to make her feel less guilty for burdening him with her own weakness. He laced his fingers together and rested them on his stomach as Riza sat up to reach above her head and pull the light switch on the overhead fan. As she laid back down, Roy threw the comforter over her, and she gratefully pulled the blanket around herself while he contented himself with the bedsheet. Black Hayate wriggled his way between them, as if proclaiming himself as a barrier; still, knowing Roy was close enough to reach out and touch made her heart race. “Hey,” he murmured, and she felt him shift onto his side and could feel him staring at her in the dark.

“What?” She asked quietly, not wanting to speak too loud in case her voice shook.

“Promise me you won’t get hurt again,” he murmured. Riza took a small breath, then smiled coyly.

“I can’t promise that, sir,” she responded with a breathy chuckle. “I can’t help it when you get yourself into trouble all the time. It’s like looking after a third Elric,” she teased, but the jokes were only to cover up her trembling hands and racing heart. Roy was silent for a second, and then he huffed and rolled onto his other side.

“Jeez. No need to insult me,” he complained loudly, but she could hear the teasing in his voice. “… Fine then. Then promise me that you'll rely on me more?” he asked her, his voice low. Riza smiled as her eyes drifted closed, and she nodded slowly.

“That I can do, sir,” she answered as his hand slipped through the blankets to hold hers.

_That I can do._

Maybe they weren’t vocal about their feelings, but they knew they were there. She could feel all the words left unspoken as he held her hand in silence, and a deep understanding settled between them as they lay their side by side. _Someday, I’ll tell you, and you’ll tell me. For now, there’s too much to be done,_ she promised him as she felt his breathing settle into a slow and steady rhythm. _One day, when you set wrongs right, and finally achieve your dream._

_I’ll be there, right by your side, until that day. You can rely on me._

_Just like I can rely on you, Roy._

A smile formed on her face as she drifted off to sleep, lulled by the warmth of the man beside her.


	11. Truth or Dare

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: Snow3bunny (Ao3)

“What are you idiots doing?” Nami sighed and shook her head as she leaned against the wooden railing overlooking the main deck of the Thousand Sunny, where the entirety of the crew was currently sitting down in a circle around an empty rum bottle most likely consumed by Zoro earlier in the day. She had been in her navigator's study examining their current course to determine the safest and fastest course to Fishman Island, their current destination. It was the Thousand Sunny's maiden voyage, and a lot could go wrong with a ship you did not know well; the other members of the crew, however, did not seem to share this sentiment, as it was their raucous laughter that had pulled her from her calculations and caused her to migrate out of the interior of the ship to investigate the source of their merriment. “Whatever it is, can you keep it down? I’m trying to make sure we reach Fishman Island, thank you very much,” she huffed as she crossed her arms and regarded the strange display with distaste.

“Nami!” Luffy shouted excitedly as his navigator lightly reprimanded them. “We're playing spin-the-bottle! Come join us!” he insisted as he bounced up and down excitedly while pointing at the empty rim bottle lying on its side. Nami's eyebrow crept up at the mention of the game, which was all but foreign to her.

“Spin-the-bottle?” she echoed and walked down the steps to the main deck of the ship, admittedly curious about the strange game.

“Yeah!” Chopper squealed with his tiny reindeer hooves in the air. “Sanji showed it to us. He says they used to play it on his cooking ship all the time!” he explained while giving the cook a big smile.

“This doesn't involve taking off my clothes, does it?” Nami snorted as she stopped short of the group situated in a circle, crossing her arms as she glared doubtfully at the blonde, lascivious cook.

“Of course not! I am a man of class,” Sanji pouted as his shoulders slumped. _Yeah, you've got class, all right. You’re a ‘class'ic pervert!_ She thought with a huff, but a playful smile was forming on her lips.

“All right, then. What does this game involve?” she inquired as she gestured for them to make room for her in the circle. She squeezed her way in between Luffy and Zoro, tucking her legs beneath her as she regarded the seemingly unassuming bottle. _There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it._

“It's quite simple,” Robin mused and gestured lazily to the rum bottle. “A person spins the bottle, and whomever it lands on is given the option of ‘truth’ or ‘dare.’ Truth involves responding honestly to a question, while dare means completing a task. Both are decided by the person who spun the bottle. We each take turns,” she explained matter-of-factly. Nami nodded in understanding, leaning back slightly as she held her feet with her hands.

“Okay, I get it. Let's get on with it, then!” she beamed, suddenly excited. Who doesn’t love the idea of making someone reveal their innermost secrets or making them do ridiculous things? Sticking out her tongue slightly, she reached forward and gave the bottle a whirl. It made a humming sound as the air moved over the opening, and it slowly came to a stop with the open end pointing at Usopp. _Perfect! I can date Usopp to do something fun! Or make him tell me something embarrassing!_ She thought devilishly as she rubbed her hands together. “All right, Usopp! Truth or dare?” she demanded.

“I’m gonna go with truth. Your ideas of a dare frighten me,” the spineless sniper whimpered immediately, and admittedly, Nami was slightly disappointed.

“All right, then,” she sighed and cocked her head to the side slightly as she tried to formulate a good question to make Usopp squirm. A mischievous smile wormed its way onto her lips, and she heard Usopp swallow anxiously. “Okay, Usopp. At what age did you stop wetting the bed?” she asked, and the sniper immediately turned red all the way up to his ears. At his mortified reaction, the circle of pirates immediately burst into raucous laughter.

“Come on, Usopp, answer the question!” Luffy guffawed, grinning eagerly.

“I never wet the bed! I am a brave warrior of the sea!” Usopp insisted haughtily, but covered bashfully when another round of laughter broke out among the group.

“Be honest!” Franky grinned and nudged him with a large metal elbow, and Usopp squeaked as it dug slightly into his ribs.

“O-okay… I was twelve,” Usopp mumbled as he hung his head in shame, and they all exploded into giggles.

“Twelve? No way!” Luffy cackled as he rolled onto his back holding his stomach and kicking his legs as laughter wracked his rubbery body.

“I knew you were a coward, Usopp, but I didn’t know you were a baby, too!” Zoro scoffed playfully. Usopp snorted defiantly and crossed his arms with a huff.

“Laugh all you want! I’m going to show all of you!” he said primly as he turned his long nose up into the air. After the giggles settled down, it was Zoro's turn to spin, and he did so readily. The glass rattled against the wooden surface of the boat before coming to rest on Luffy, who naturally chose a dare.

“Okay. I dare you to climb the mast… But upside-down,” Zoro grinned stupidly and gestured to the mast with a thumb.

“Piece of cake!” Luffy grinned assertively and promptly hopped to his feet to run over to the tall wooden structure. With a grunt, he ducked down to position himself in a hand-stand.

“And no using your Devil Fruit powers!” Sanji laughed as an afterthought.

“Please! I’m no cheat!” Luffy growled at them before hopping up onto the mast and wrapping his arms and legs around the massive wooden post. Grunting with effort, he began to slowly ascend the mast in a strange shimmy-like motion. He made it about halfway up before he lost his grip and came tumbling down, landing roughly at the bottom of the post. “Owwww… My head…” he whined as he rubbed it tenderly, while the rest of the group cackled with laughter.

“You okay, Luffy?” Chopper cried as he hopped to his feet. “Someone get the doctor! Wait! I am the doctor!” he wailed as he ran around in circles in a panic. Meanwhile, Luffy was sitting up, seemingly unharmed.

“Ugh… That's a lot harder than it looks,” he whined as he glanced up the post with a squint. “All right! Who's turn is it?” he asked as he scooted on his behind back into the circle eagerly.

“Looks like it's Robin,” Zoro answered. With a small smile, the quiet archaeologist reached forward and gave the bottle a spin. Nami's eyes widened as the mouth of the bottle came to rest pointing directly at her, and she suddenly grew nervous as to what Robin would do in either situation. _Truth is a safer option, probably,_ she decided.

“Well? Truth or dare, Nami?” Robin asked calmly.

“Truth! Ask me anything! I’m an open book,” Nami boasted, but the bravado was mostly to hide her anxiety. Robin chuckled and leaned back slightly on her hands as she regarded the navigator with calculating eyes.

“All right, then. Tell us about your first kiss,” Robin demanded. A chorus of “ooohs" traveled through the circle, and all eyes came to land on the navigator. Suddenly, her heart was pounding violently. _Wait! Do they think I’ve actually done stuff like that?_ She thought in a panic.

“Out with it, Namiiiii!” Luffy urged and poked at her arm with a snicker. “When was it? Who was it?” His incessant urging did little to ease her nervousness, and she swallowed nervously as she glanced down at her lap.

 _Come on… It's not that big of a deal to say that I’ve never kissed anybody, right?_ She thought as she bit down on her lower lip.

“Is it that scandalous?” Zoro mused as he rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords. “Or maybe she's done it so many times she's having trouble remembering?” That last comment set Nami's rage aflame. _They think I’m some kind of… kind of… **whore**! _ She realized in anger, and she balled up her fists as she began to shake violently. Tears forming in the corners of her eyes as they continued to prod at her, she abruptly jumped to her feet, head down and shoulders slumped.

“I hate this stupid game!” she shouted before whipping around and stalking up the stairs to return to her study. They all shouted at her to wait, but she ignoring them, slamming the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her bed with a miserable sob. She buried her face into her pillow. _It's so_ dumb she thought bitterly. _I don’t know what hurts more… The fact that not ever kissing someone is so unbearable, or the fact that they all think that I do those kinds of things frivolously,_ she moped as she hugged her pillow tightly. _Is it strange that I don’t? That I want to wait for someone special…?_ She thought as she rolled onto her back and held an arm over her eyes as the tears flowed freely. At that thought, a certain blonde-haired cook popped into her mind, and that just made her heart constrict with pain. _Does he think… I’m like that, too? Is that why he's always making advances on me? Does he think I’m easy?_ She thought as her bottom lip quivered. Considering the prevailing opinions of the crew, she thought that it must be true, and despite her best efforts her tough exterior dissolved, and she was left sobbing miserably.

She awoke to the sound of loud knocking on her door. She had fallen asleep curled up under the blankets cuddling her pillow for comfort, and the surface was still damp with tears. She sat up and rubbed her puffy eyes, and her fingers came away wet with salty water. She glanced at the door as the knocking came once more. “One minute!” she called as she threw the covers off herself and walked over to the mirror to straighten out her hair and try and erase the tear stains on her cheeks before answering the door. She cracked it slightly to try and hide her disheveled appearance. “What is it? I’m busy,” he stated as she pulled the door open, but she fell silent when she realized it was Sanji standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth. She felt her chest tighten, and she dropped her gaze slightly. “Oh. It's you,” she said quietly.

To his credit, he didn’t comment on how upset she obviously looked, but instead smiled sweetly and extended a hand to her.

“I was wondering if you could give me some help in the kitchen?” he inquired hopefully. “You're the only one around here who can peel a potato worth a damn,” he joked light-heartedly, but even though he was doing his best to act normal, she could feel the underlying tension in his tone and see the stiffness in his body. She stood in the threshold of the doorway, considering refusing his offer and crawling back into bed to mope some more. _There's no sense in brooding over something so pointless,_ she thought with a small sigh and nodded before opening the door all the way.

“Okay. I can take a break,” she said despite the fact that she was almost certain that Sanji knew that all she had been doing was crying. He continued to hold his hand out for her, and she blushed slightly as she reluctantly took it and allowing him to lead her further into the ship to the kitchen. As she plodded along after him, she was keenly aware of the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. _Sanji's hand… It's so big and reassuring,_ she thought dreamily, then a jolt of pain shot through her heart. _But… I'll never really get to hold his hand for real,_ she thought miserably, and the gloom settled over her once more. Sanji, seemingly oblivious to her despondent mood, brought her into the kitchen, which was already filled with the smells of delicious food and the steam of many things cooking on the stove and in the oven. He released her hand as he walked over to stir something in a simmering pot, and Nami was half-disappointed and half-grateful. She sat down at the small wooden table where a bag of potatoes was already sitting ready to be peeled. She pulled over an empty pot to collect the peelings and sat down to begin working.

The silence settled between them as she peeled the potatoes and Sanji flitted from spot to spot stirring this and tasting that. However, though Nami normally enjoyed the quiet, she found Sanji's lack of talkativeness unsettling and bordering on unbearable. She _knew_ he wanted to ask her something, but he was too polite to do so, and the suspense was killing her. Besides, there was her lingering fear of what he truly thought of her, and she was _dying_ to know the truth. Soon she felt like she was going to burst, and to channel the nervous energy she began ripping furiously at the potatoes with the peeler. Suddenly, it slipped and carved into the side of her finger, making her screech in pain and drop the starchy vegetable, already splattered with her blood.

“Nami?!” Sanji cried in alarm in response to her yelp, and he came rushing to her aid as she held her finger. Thankfully it was only a shallow cut, but it was still bleeding profusely.

“Ow… I just cut my finger, that's all,” she whimpered as he crouched down in front of her. He reached up to take her hand and pull it closer to his face to investigate, and she obediently allowed him to do so despite her blushing. He sighed lightly in relief.

“It looks a lot worse than it is. Wait here. I’ll get a bandage,” he instructed before riding to his feet and walking over to one of the counters to rummage around for a roll of bandages. He returned a short minute later with the bandages and a strip of cloth, which he pressed to her hand to absorb the blood. As he worked intently on her wound, Nami's heart felt like it was tightening up so much it was twisting into knots, and finally she could no longer stand the pressure.

“Sanji… Do you think I’m a…” she trailed off as she searched for a proper way to refer to whatever the rest of the crew thought her as. He glanced up at her with a small frown, then smiled coyly.

“A virgin?” he finished with a slightly smug smile, and she turned bright pink as he put it so bluntly. Her reaction affirmed his question, and he chuckled lightly under his breath as he glanced down at her hand and began to slowly wind bandages around her injured finger. “I thought that was what had you so upset,” he mused quietly as he continued to work on treating her wound. Nami bit down on her lip, but that didn’t stop it from quivering.

“Well? Do you?” she asked insistently. He sighed deeply and tied off the bandage, looking up at her. Her breath caught in her throat as he looked her dead in the eyes.

“Of course I do, Nami. I’ve always thought so,” he smiled softly up at her. Nami stared at him for a minute, and then all the tension that she had been holding in her body suddenly relaxed, and she exhaled deeply before slumping back in the chair. _So he doesn’t think that of me…_ She thought with a relieved smile. “For the record, most of the others were only teasing. We certainly don’t think you get around,” he mused with a raised eyebrow, and she went slightly red in embarrassment upon realizing she had overreacted. “What made you so upset?” he asked her curiously.

“I… I've never actually kissed a man,” she admitted hesitantly, looking down at her hand, which was slowly turning the bandage a slight shade of pink as the wound attempted to clot. “They all seemed to think I thought nothing of it, and it just seemed so embarrassing that I had never kissed anyone,” she sighed. “And then I thought that maybe they think that they thought me as someone… _easy…_ that was even worse.” She glanced down at him doubtfully. “They really don’t think that?”

“No,” he reassured before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Though it is surprising. I would have thought you would have kissed someone by now,” he remarked.

“I-I just take things like that seriously!” she cried and balled up her fists angrily, then winced as pain shot up her arm from the burning wound on her hand. She released the fist quickly to find that the bandage was rapidly turning red, as her action had reopened the wound. “Ow…” she whined. Sanji smirked slightly before taking her hand in his gently.

“It's never going to heal like that. Here, let me give it a kiss to make it go faster,” he grinned teasingly, and before she could even protest, he leaned down to gently press his lips to the bandages. She went dark red, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to formulate words, while he just grinned triumphantly up at her. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she glared down at him.

“Oh, you think you’re smooth, do you?” she snapped.

“As a matter of fact, I pride myself in my ability to woo the ladies,” he smirked playfully as she ripped her hand away from him lest its trembling give away her exhilaration. Her finger tingled slightly as the feeling of his little kiss lingered.

“Well, this is one lady you will _not_ be wooing!” she huffed and looked away from him. He chuckled before suddenly standing at his full height and looking down at her thoughtfully. “What is it?” she asked nervously under his intense stare.

“Why, Nami, I think you're hurt somewhere else, too,” he drowned, and she gasped as she began looking over her hand for another cut. She could not locate one, and she glanced up at him in confusion.

“Where? I don’t see anything,” she blinked, and her eyebrows knitted together as he gave her a slightly alluring smirk. _Now, what is he up to…?_

“That's because you aren’t looking in the right place,” he purred as he leaned down over her, and her heart began to race as his face began dangerously close. “It's right… here,” he murmured as her gently brushed his fingertips over her bottom lip, and she realized that she had bit down so hard on her lip earlier that she had actually drawn blood. Her mind went blank as his eyes gazed intently into her own with a passionate fire blazing in their dark depths that she had never seen. “I should kiss that to make it better, too,” he smiled coyly, and she sat still as stone as he closed the distance between them to gently press his lips against her own. At first her mind raced with incoherent thoughts before slowly settling on him, the contours of his face and the highlights of his hair, and her body slowly relaxed as she melted into the kiss. His lips lingered for a while before slowly drawing away, and as he pulled back, Nami almost felt like a part of her was leaving. She soon came to her senses, however, and let out an affronted gasp.

“Sanji! You scoundrel!” she shrieked as she grabbed a handful of the potato skins and threw them into his face. The flirtatious cook just laughed heartily as he pulled the skins out of his hair.

“Didn’t take long for you to get back to normal,” he mused as he dropped the potato skins back into the bucket, and she looked up at him through narrowed eyes. _He did all that to make me feel better?_ She realized, and despite her embarrassment, she smiled. _This guy…_ He continued to chuckle as he brushed potato skins off his broad shoulders. “I invite you into my kitchen, and you make it a mess. What am I going to do with you, Nami?” he mused. She threateningly picked up the bucket.

“Well, then, don’t be such a tease!” she shouted at him, and he laughed again before waving a hand and retreating to the safety of the stove.

“I never tease,” he called over to her. “Now finish those potatoes before Luffy starts whining about how hungry he is,” he instructed with a wink. Nami stuck out her tongue at him, but as she set down the bucket and returned to work, she couldn’t ignore the bubbly, happy feeling floating around in her chest, and the lingering feeling of Sanji's kiss.

Her first kiss.

But that was going to be a secret, for now…


	12. The Big Competition

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Choji Akimichi and Female OC

Choji's mouth watered as the scent of freshly cooked hot dogs wafted up his nose, and as he closed his eyes to deeply inhale the familiar, delectable fragrance, he felt at ease. A grin made its way into his face as he stood outside the entrance to the annual Konoha City Hot Dog Eating Competition- his realm, his castle, his place of honor. Suddenly filled with burning resolve, his eyes snapped open and he unleashed a startlingly loud battle cry, scaring quite a few onlookers. Oblivious, he punched the air repeatedly as he geared himself up for the challenge.

“All right!” he roared. “Time to defend my title! I have a date with a tray of hot dogs!” Beside him, Shikamaru ran a hand over his face and likely contemplated why he had agreed to attend the function in the first place.

“Come on, Choji, you’re making a fool of yourself!” the moody boy whined as he shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched miserably as he gazed at the rancorous social function. The event had not yet begun, and so the attendees were wandering around socializing and mingling. Men and women alike loitered about with cups of beer in their hands, and occasionally a chorus of guffaws would echo through the open field in response to some uttered joke. Children ran about playing touch football or tag, while the shyer kids clung to their mother's skirts and shirts while watching the entire boisterous affair with wide, unnerved eyes. It was a loud, proud affair, and Choji loved every minute of it.

“I can’t help it, Shikamaru! I have a good feeling about this!” he grinned devilishly, and then froze on the spot as his gaze landed on a beautiful black-haired woman strolling casually up to the entrance gate. “Ohh…” he swooned as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and rested a hand on her hip. She was small, no more than 100 pounds, and had a petite figure. That wasn’t what attracted Choji, though. She had _natural_ beauty, more than he had ever seen; she was dressed in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of sweats, and had not one bit of make-up on, and her ebony hair was tied back into a messy bun- yet, to him she looked like the most radiant goddess. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the eerily silent man, and followed his star-struck gaze to the unassuming beauty standing at the entrance gate. He then smiled knowingly.

“Whadaya know. Choji's got the hots,” Shikamaru smirked and nudged Choji in the ribs with his elbow. “Go talk to her, bud.”

“What?!” Choji screeched, wrenched out of his stupor by the absurd suggestion. “Now way! She’s way out of my league!” he moped as the pretty woman edged forward in line. Shikamaru frowned deeply.

“What?” he said in slight incredulity. “You’re kidding, right? What girl wouldn’t want a guy like you? Sensitive, kind, knows his way around the dinner table. You’re a catch, my friend,” he mused, and before Choji could object, Shikamaru stood behind him and promptly planted his foot in the small of Choji's back. Unprepared, the larger man lost his balance and stumbled gracelessly into the line of people, landing in a crumpled heat at the feet of the gorgeous woman. He sat up while rubbing his back, cursing Shikamaru under his breath, then went beet red when a small hand appeared in front of his face.

“Are you okay?” the pretty woman smiled brightly down at him. His mouth opened and closed as he gawked up at her, and it was a good for seconds before he managed a coherent thought. _I’ve died and gone to Heaven,_ he thought dumbly as he robotically took the offered hand. He raised his eyebrows as the girl easily pulled him to his feet, despite the fact that he was easily three to four times her size.

“Wow! You’re pretty strong, aren’t you?” he smiled bashfully at her. Now that he was up close, he could see that though she was slim, she was nearly all muscle. She laughed at him and waved a hand dismissively.

“I have a pretty strict workout regimen,” she explained, then frowned and reached out for him once more. “Oh, your shorts are covered in dirt. May I?” She asked, and though he was internally screaming like a lunatic, he managed to seem calm and collected as the attractive woman brushed the dust off of his shorts. “There,” she nodded approvingly and straightened up.

“Wh-what’s your name?” he blurted stupidly, unable to contain himself. He then remembered his manners. “I-I’m Choji Akimichi! Thank you for helping me up!” he sputtered and bowed his head graciously. The girl laughed once more, and Choji thought that he had never heard a more beautiful sound in all of his life.

“Nice to meet you, Choji. My name is Mikan Arashi,” she responded politely, then narrowed her eyes slightly and cocked her head to the side in thought. “Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you are the current champion and record-holder for this competition, correct?” She inquired, and Choji felt his heart do a backflip. _She knows who I am!_ He thought with a stupid grin.

“Yes! I am!” he laughed casually and rubbed the back of his head in mock embarrassment, but in all honestly, he was bursting with pride. Mikan laughed delightedly and clapped her hands together.

“Oh, wow! To think I would have the champion stumble right at my feet!” she giggled. _To think I would stumble at the feet of a girl who appreciates me for my talent!_ Choji beamed as he puffed out his chest with pride. He instantly deflated as she added, “It’s going to be so much fun competing with you!”

“Saywhatnow?” he blinked, and off to the side he heard Shikamaru erupt into a fit of snickers. Mikan blinked innocently.

“Oh, I didn’t mention? I’m a competitive eater myself. I came to compete today. See?” She explained, pulling a badge out of her purse and showing it to him. It was identical to the badge Choji wore on a lanyard around his neck, indicating that he was a competitor in the competition. Choji's mouth fell open in complete and total shock as he regarded the tiny woman that was more or less insinuating that she could out-eat him. Seemingly oblivious to the fact she had basically steamrolled him, she glanced over her shoulder as the gate attendant called out for her. “Oh, I guess it’s my turn to check in now. It was nice to meet you! See you soon, huh?” She smiled jovially at him before bouncing cheerfully to the attendant. Choji gawked after her until Shikamaru came up alongside him and clapped his mouth shut.

“Out of your league, my ass. You two are made for each other!” he cackled, thoroughly amused at the turn of events. Choji gulped and trudged towards the gate to check in, his mind struggling to process the image of the little woman inhaling a tray of hot dogs.

About an hour later, he was standing at a simple row of fold-out tables covered with a simple tablecloth, while Shikamaru joined the other spectators in the bleachers in front of the stage. An announcer was busy getting the crowd riled up for the event, but Choji was barely listening, as he was trying to get himself into the zone. He twitched when he heard a cheerful voice calling out to him a few chairs down, and he cracked an eye open to see Mikan waving at him. _She’s mouthing something,_ he thought with narrowing eyes.

 _Good luck!_ She was saying. He gave her a half-hearted smile and a wiggle of his fingers before returning to the task at hand, but he was struggling to find his zen now that the girl had interrupted him. _Is it really okay for her to be doing something like this? She’s so small,_ he doubted. Abruptly, the signal for the competition to begin suddenly sounded, and he jerked in shock. He had been so unfocused that he hadn't realized that they were so close to beginning, and he lost precious seconds gathering himself. He began shoving a hot dog into his mouth.

 _Focus, Choji!_ He told himself as he chomped away. _Forget Mikan! You have a title to defend! All of these other guys are tough customers!_ Indeed, the competition was rough. Several competitors from abroad were here, and some of them were world-renowned. Many of them were bigger than Choji, with mouths large enough to fit a hot dog whole. _I won’t lose!_ He thought determinedly, the burning resolve igniting inside him once more. He went into overdrive, mindlessly consuming the hot dogs one after the other.

“CHOJI!” came a sudden scream over the cheers of the crowd, and he caught the image of Shikamaru waving frantically at him in the crowd. He was pointing, and he followed his gaze to the table. He almost choked when he realized why Shikamaru was so flustered.

 _Mikan?!?!_ He thought in disbelief. The tiny girl had cleared her way through an entire tray in five minutes and was already working on her second. _Each tray has twenty hot dogs on it! There’s no way!_ He thought with wide eyes. She was completely different now, her cheerful disposition abandoned for an aura of complete and total concentration. The crowd was losing it as the announcer took notice of the young girl.

“Look at this upset, folks!” he cried into the microphone. “In the lead is newcomer Mikan Arashi from our very own Konoha City! She s leading by three dogs, ahead of our four-year champion Choji Akimichi! Will he be able to catch up, or will we be announcing a new champion this year?!”

Mikan seemed completely oblivious to the excited conjectures, powering through the plate without such as a glance at the announcer. Meanwhile, Choji was feeling the heat. He began shoving the food into his mouth feverishly. _I can’t believe it! That little girl is out-eating me! How?_ Despite his effort, though, Mikan remained ahead of him until the final minute. In that short period, two people collapsed with stomach aches, and several of the competitors had overextended themselves from lack of pacing. Mikan and Choji were still steadily plodding along, now working through their third tray.

“Come on, Choji!” Shikamaru called. Choji wondered why Shikamaru was suddenly so interested in his success, but he found the cheering very motivating. He picked up the pace slightly, decreasing the margin between himself and Mikan.

“Amazing! Choji Akimichi is now only one hot dog away from Mikan, with thirty seconds left! Who will win?” the announcer shouted. Choji chomped away, but knew that unless he did something drastic he would not win.

“SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF, FATSO!” Shikamaru screamed suddenly, and Choji’s ears twitched. _Fatso?!_ He thought as rage flared inside of him.

“THAT’S IT!” he roared. “I’LL KICK YOUR ASS FOR THAT, SHIKAMARU! I’M JUST CHUBBY AND YOU KNOW IIIIIIIIIT!”

“Fifteen seconds!” came the time announcement. Pouring his anger into consuming the food, Choji dug into the try with gusto. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Mikan begin to increase her pace as well, and the crowd grew quiet as they watched the two competitors frantically try to outpace the other. Abruptly, Choji's stomach twisted into a knot and he felt nauseous. _No! Just a little more-!_ He thought as he tried to finish of the hot dog, but it was no good. Mikan had her eyes squeezed shut with effort as she finished off her hot dog, and then the alarm sounded signaling the end of the competition. _What was the result? I lost track!_ He thought as the judges came around to tally scores. Choji collapsed into the chair, panting and gingerly rubbing his belly. _Man, I overdid it!_

“I don’t believe it, folks!” the announcer cried suddenly, making Choji crack an eye open. “We have our winner! The award goes to…” he paused, and everyone in the area leaned on the edge of the seats as they breathlessly awaited the answer. “Your new champion, Mikan Arashi!” The field exploded with roars of approval, and a red-faced Mikan smiled bashfully as she accepted the giant trophy and was escorted to center stage by the announcer. Choji couldn’t help but smile.

“Heh. She really is out of my league after all,” he murmured, leaning his cheek in his hand.

After, he and Shikamaru were walking out to the parking lot.

“Man, I never would’ve thought she could out-eat you, Choji. I still can’t believe forty-five hot dogs fit into that little body! Does she have three stomachs or something?” Shikamaru cried as he pulled slightly at his hair in shock. Choji nodded with a slight chuckle. It was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time he found it awe-inspiring. _Just goes to show you that you can do anything if you work for it,_ he thought as he put his hands in his pockets. He slowed to a stop when he heard a familiar voice floating over the wind, and he glanced behind him.

“Choji! Waiiiiiiiit!” Mikan was shouting as she jogged unsteadily towards them, toting the heavy trophy. Choji’s eyes widened as she came to a stop in front of him, panting heavily. She doubled over for a second as she sucked in breath, and after a minute she was able to look up at him.

“I… I wanted to…” she huffed between breaths. “S-S-say… Good job…!”

“Huh? I should be saying that to you!” Choji blinked at her. _Well, at least she’s gracious._ Mikan blushed at that, holding the trophy awkwardly in her slim arms. She avoided his gaze, gradually turning redder, and Choji frowned in confusion as Shikamaru started elbowing him in the ribs.

“Th-that’s not all!” she squeaked abruptly, and he jumped slightly, caught off-guard by her level of emotion. She stared at him intently, blushing brightly, before she cried, “I-i-I wanted to tell you that you’re very attractive and if it w-wasn’t too much trouble, can we go on a d-d-date sometime?” once again, Choji's mouth fell open in shock. _She thinks I’m attractive?_ He thought as his soul, now at peace, began to leave his body to ascend to a higher plane.

“Yeah, yeah, he’ll go,” Shikamaru sighed as Choji stood there dumb-founded, stepping in front of him to hand over Choji's contact information. “I promise, he’s not usually this weird, but he’s not good around girls.” He mused and patted Choji reassuringly on the back. Mikan beamed in delight at him, so happy that tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

“I’m looking forward to it! I’ll call you tonight, is that okay?” She asked, and it took a rough shove from his friend for Choji to finally return to reality.

“Urk! Yeah! That’ll work!” he cried. Mikan laughed blissfully, and Choji amended his earlier statement to say that her laugh right then was _definitely_ the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. His shoulders sagged and a satisfied sigh escaped out of him as he watched the cheerful girl hurry off into the parking lot. “I’m in love,” he decided.

“Yeah, okay, big guy. One step at a time,” Shikamaru shook his head and patted him on the back. “Let’s go. You hungry?”

“Oh yeah! Let’s go get some barbecue!” he howled happily, and took off for the car in excitement. Not sharing his enthusiasm, Shikamaru trudged along behind, but had a smile to match Choji's.

 _I may have lost the competition, but I’m definitely the real winner here!_ He thought with a snicker as he raced across the asphalt, practically flying with happiness.  


	13. Laundry Day

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters: Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye

Riza hummed under her breath quietly as she stood in front of the dryer, carefully folding laundry and placing it in a basket to bring to the bedroom. She smiled slightly as she picked up one of Roy's dress shirts; although it has just been through the wash, it still smelled a little bit like him. She couldn’t help but bring it to her face and breathe in deeply. It smelled like cologne with a hint of smoke. It smelled like her husband. _Roy…_

She jumped as she heard the front door opening, and she hastily withdrew the shirt from her face and acted like she was doing laundry normally. She grew slightly self-conscious as she heard Roy walking around the apartment. Her nose twitched as she continued to fold the laundry, her heart rate quickening as his footsteps drew closer. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled as the door slowly eased open, and a black-haired head popped out from behind the door.

“Hi. I’m just doing this last bit of laundry,” she smiled wider as he came strolling into the room. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her fold another one of his shirts.

“You know, I feel bad that you do the laundry all the time,” he frowned as he pressed a kiss into her neck. Thankfully, Riza was practiced in her military bearing, so she was able to squash the urge to squirm and giggle like a teenage girl. _He makes a mess of me…_ she thought with a small smile as she placed the folded shirt into the basket and closed the dryer. Before she could retrieve the basket, Roy grabbed her by the hips and slowly turned her around. “Where's my welcome home kiss?” he purred, and Riza rolled her eyes as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Riza smiled and angled her head slightly to return the kiss, pressing herself against him for a brief moment.

“You know,” she smirked when she pulled back, glancing down at the pile of dirty clothes on the tiled floor. “I have a few more loads. Why don’t you help me?” she suggested, and Roy's eyebrows crept up his forehead. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing down at the dirty clothes, and Riza was surprised to find a look of hesitation forming on his features. “Do you… _know_ how to do laundry?” she asked slowly, and she was even _more_ surprised to see his cheeks turning pink.

“Of course!” he said indignantly, and Riza smirked slightly. _This is going to be fun,_ she thought as she untangled herself from him and bent down to begin loading the dirty clothes into the washing machine. She was acutely aware of Roy staring at her behind, and she was glad it was her backside to him so he wouldn’t see her blushing. She hastily tossed the last of the clothes into the washing machine before straightening up and closing the door.

“All right. Tell me, what now?” she asked as she put her hands on her hips and turned back to him. His slightly reddened face suddenly turned pale as he stared at the machine like it was some foreign object. He shuffled over, rubbing his hands together.

“You, uh, put detergent in it, obviously,” he laughed nervously. When Riza prompted him to pick one of the four large containers sitting on the washing machine, he made a wheezing sound and stared at the bottles. “Um. Um. Uh,” he sputtered as he reached hesitantly for a bottle, staring out of the corners of his eyes at Riza to try and read her expression. She kept her face still as stone, despite the fact that she wanted nothing more but to laugh. He finally chose one, and jumped when she cleared her throat loudly.

“Honey, that’s bleach. I don’t recommend pouring that in there,” she mused as the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. He blushed darkly and hastily let go of the bottle, grabbing the one next to it. “There you go,” she chuckled, and he pulled the bottle forward and grabbed the little cup attached to the lid. She could hear him muttering under his breath as he measured the detergent and pulled out the slot to pour the viscous liquid into the appropriate chamber. He closed the slot and set the cup down, slightly pleased with himself.

“Great. Now, do you know which setting to put it on?” she smiled as she powered on the washing machine, and the smile vanished from Roy's face instantaneously. He reached up warily and began cycling through the various options, growing increasingly unnerved. He settled on one, and Riza snickered as she peered over his shoulder.

“No, no, we only use that for heavy loads like the bedsheets,” she sighed and began flipping the dial to the right setting. Roy looked doubtfully into the loaded washing machine.

“But that’s a lot of clothes…” he protested meekly as Riza switched to the right setting and started the machine. As the drum began whirling and water poured into the chamber, Riza smiled and patted him reassuringly on that back.

“It can look like that to a rookie,” she mused. Roy bristled, whirling around as she grabbed the full basket of clean clothes and began heading to the bedroom.

“I am not a rookie! I’ve just never worked on _this_ washing machine,” he protested as he stomped after her. Riza smiled as she set the basket down on the edge of the bed and walked to the closet to grab a handful of hangers. She began stringing the clothes onto the hangers, while Roy hovered over her shoulder. “Is it always this much work?” he inquired as he grabbed a hanger and placed one of his shirts onto it. He left it unbuttoned, so he frowned when he lifted it up and it slid right off.

“Yes, it is,” she laughed slightly and reached over to place the shirt back on the hanger, buttoning the top button so it would hold. Roy held it up and nodded in slight appreciation. After they finished hanging the clothes, with Riza making slight modifications to Roy's work, she returned the empty basket to the laundry room.

“So, what now?” he inquired.

“Now, we wait,” she smiled at him, and she raised an eyebrow as he smiled alluringly and wound his arms around her waist.

“I’ve got an idea or two about what we can do to pass the time…” he murmured and pulled her up against him, and in response she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and curled her fingers into the ends of his midnight-black hair.

“Oh? That so? Enlighten me,” she answered, and he smiled before leaning down to press his lips against her own. Riza’s eyes drifted closed, and she sighed lightly as Roy ran his hands up and down her sides while kissing her deeper. “I should have you help me do laundry more often,” she joked as he pulled away to plant kisses down the nape of her neck, and she felt him chuckling as she wrapped her arms around his broad, strong back.

After their hour was up, Roy and Riza returned to the laundry room, and she opened the dryer to begin folding the clothes. Roy watched her for a minute, then blinked and picked up a shirt to begin clumsily folding it. He frowned deeply and presented the finished product to Riza, who just smiled and reached up to pat him on the head. “It’s a good thing that you’re pretty,” she chuckled teasingly.

“Come on. I’m trying here. I am your superior and you should respect me! Not tease me!” he pouted at her, and she smiled before laying the shirt out on top of the dryer and showing him how to properly fold it. He watched her intently, then tried to replicate it with another shirt. “Better?” he asked hopefully.

“Better,” she smiled and set the shirt in the basket. Roy bent down to get another shirt, then stared thoughtfully at the pile of clean clothes in the dryer. She cried out in alarm as he abruptly grabbed the clothes and flung then over her, and the next thing she knew the world was whirling around her. She landed on something soft and the warm, fluffy clothes rained down around her. As the clothes settled, she looked down to see that Roy had pulled her down to the ground and she was laying on top of him. “What are you doing?” she blinked down at him.

“Enjoying the laundry,” he remarked with a snicker, blowing a dress sock off his face. It _was_ nice and warm, between Roy's body heat and the warm clothes scattered over them.

“Now I have to clean them all over again,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. Roy smiled and continued holding her hips, lightly running his index fingers up and down the small of her back.

“That’s okay. I enjoy doing laundry with you,” he smiled up at her.

“Really? Even though you’re terrible at it?” she laughed, and he pouted up at her bitterly. “Don’t worry. Practice makes perfect,” she consoled him teasingly and gave him a peck on the nose.

“So you’re saying we should do this more often?” he smiled.

“Definitely,” she laughed, and then he put a hand on the back of her head to pull her into a kiss. _Definitely. I want to do all my laundry with you, Roy… Now and forever._


	14. The Anniversary

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Kiba Inuzuka and Female OC

Akari frowned deeply as she stared intently at the two dresses in her hands, her eyes trailing slowly from one to the other and back as she struggled to decide what to wear. One was an elegant black dress of societally acceptable length with a curved neckline, while the other was a blazing red dress with a plunging neckline and a questionably short skirt length. _But which one is appropriate for a first-year dating anniversary?_ She thought with a groan and laid the two dresses down on her bed, crossing her arms as she scrutinized them, as if staring at them long enough would provide a sudden epiphany.

She and her boyfriend Kiba had been dating one full year as of that day, and together they had planned a wonderful night full of surprises for the other. Akari's gift to him was a romantic dinner for two at his favorite restaurant- and that was the problem. What happened after was entirely Kiba’s jurisdiction, and so she had to plan accordingly; yet, with no inkling of what he had planned, she had no idea what was appropriate to wear. Would he be taking her to some fancy venue that required her to be dressed tastefully, or was the evening all their own, and required a little something to turn up the heat? She chewed on her lip thoughtfully before reluctantly reaching for the black dress, the safer option of the two. At least with that, if they were out in public among the haughty and well-to-do, she wouldn’t feel self-conscious.

The clock ticked as she prepared herself for the night, and as time raced by, she found herself growing more and more excited. She curled her blonde her into golden, bouncy ringlets and highlighted her features with a modest yet striking selection of make-up. Just as she was fastening the tiny buckles of her heels, the apartment echoed with the familiar sound of Kiba rapping at the door.

“Just a moment!” she called, hoping that he could hear her. She jumped to her feet, her heels clacking furiously as she struggled to snap in her earrings and collect her things. _I was so worried about looking perfect that I forgot to keep an eye on the time!_ She thought with a pout as she snatched her purse off the bed and ran down the hallway, stumbling slightly in her haste. She arrived at the front door and threw it open hurriedly, panting slightly with effort as she regarded the handsome man standing in her doorway.

No one would ever think it, but Kiba cleaned up nicely. He had abandoned his usual selection of baggy hoodies and cargo pants for a nice dress shirt and some slacks, and he had even attempted to straighten out his unruly mop of brown hair. That didn’t work out well- it was still sticking up in several places, but Akari didn’t mind. She loved his hair. It was soft, and she loved to run her fingers through it and twirl and curl the strands. She was so struck at his appearance that she stood there in the threshold gawking.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” he joked, and she stirred. A faint blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks, and she self-consciously fixed her hair.

“N-no! You look very nice, Kiba,” she stammered as she cast her gaze to her feet, and as she stared at them she cursed herself for not painting her toenails. She looked up with a small gasp as Kiba poked her in the forehead, and the soft, loving smile on his face made her heart flutter like a bird taking flight.

“Thanks. You look beautiful, Akari,” he murmured, and even though she had been involved with him for a year now she felt like she was transported back to the very first date, and she felt tongue-tied and overwhelmed. He seemed as cool as ever, however, and smirked as he offered an arm to her. “So? Shall we?” he winked, and she attempted to quiet her pounding heart as she took his arm and let him lead her to his waiting car.

Giving him the directions ruined some of the fun, but as Akari sat in the passenger seat of Kiba's car, she couldn’t help but smile at how excited he was. His face was lit up with a goofy smile as he chattered about the food waiting for them, and she felt bad for only half-listening. She couldn’t help it, though; all her attention was bent on him, the line of his jaw, the muscles flexing beneath the dress shirt, that soft, silky hair and how badly she wanted to caress it. _What’s wrong with me?_ She thought as she forced herself to look out the window, and she placed a hand over her heart to find it racing uncontrollably. _Only he could do this to me…_ she thought with a small smile.

Soon they were sitting in a booth at a renowned steakhouse on the ritzy side of the city, surrounded by young couples on dates, families celebrating a simple night, and old couples enjoying a rare night out. As they waited for their food, she and Kiba chatted idly about mindless things, like their jobs and their week. Akari blinked as he suddenly reached across the table to gently take her hand.

“What is it?” she asked him as he softly ran his thumb in circles over the top of her hand.

“Nothing. I just realized how lucky I am,” he mused as he leaned his cheek in his other hand, and she flushed at his intense gaze. _I’m lucky too,_ she started to say, but the waiter suddenly appeared with a flourish with their food. Kiba's hand released hers, and as she drew it down to her lap, she frowned at the feeling of his warmth fading away.

They spent the rest of dinner like a normal couple in love, trading glances and compliments and the occasional touch. By the time Akari received the check and paid, she was weary from the strain of her rapidly beating heart. She wasn’t sure why he was affecting her more than usual; it was like everything was in high definition, like her senses were overloading. Everything he did, everything he said, seemed like the most alluring actions. Perhaps she was subconsciously expecting something? She slapped her cheeks lightly as he escorted her back to the car, scolding herself. _Tonight isn’t about that. It’s about being with Kiba,_ she told herself firmly, looking over when he slid into the driver's seat. _He’s so handsome, though,_ she thought with a small whine, and she didn’t even realize she was reaching for his hand until he looked at her strangely.

“I-I’m sorry,” she blurted, and he blinked before chuckling quietly and switching the car into reverse. He backed out of the parking spot while Akari placed her hand firmly in her lap, and her face burned in embarrassment. She heard the shift of the gears as he switched the car into drive, and then she felt his hand grab hers and pull it over the center console.

“Sorry. Kind of takes two hands to back out,” he mused at her through his peripheral vision, maneuvering through traffic perfectly even though he was driving one-handed. Akari stared at their conjoined hands, then smiled happily and laced their fingers together. They sat in silence for a good while, just enjoying the feeling of holding hands, until Akari realized that they were driving out of the city.

“Where are we going?” She inquired as she leaned forward slightly in the seat, staring out at the expansive stretch of forest lining the highway.

“It’s a _surprise,”_ he laughed. “Wouldn’t be any good if I told you, now would it?” Akari pouted, the curiosity driving her insane, but she obediently flopped back into the seat and watched the dark scenery roll by. _What could it be? Are we going star-gazing? A nighttime picnic? No, we just ate, that can’t be it. Oh, how many things to do are there out in the middle of nowhere? Unless… what if we're going to a cabin? Does he…?!_ She looked at him, mildly appalled, but he was just staring at the road with a smirk on his face, very amused at his girlfriend's incessant stressing. His amused expression revealed nothing, however, and Akari was forced to wonder the entire ride.

She was still clueless even as they pulled onto a small side road. It was more of a path, really, a stretch of dirt shaking its way through the forest. She shrunk down slightly in the seat as the dark forest surrounded them, but blinked when a collection of lights bloomed in the distance, sparkling amidst the thick green. She craned her neck to try and discern what the group of lights could possibly be, but it was so hard to tell as they weaved through the forest. Kiba was laughing by the time they rolled to a stop, so close to the lights that they were shining just beyond the edge of the trees, but the plants grew so closely that it was too hard to make out. “All right, from here, we go one foot,” he told her, letting her hand go to throw the car into park and exit the car. Akari slowly unfastened her seat belt, leaning forward as she stared at the lights, until Kiba opened her door for her.

“Kiba, what _is_ this?” She asked impatiently as she took the offered hand.

“You’ll see!” he taunted as he pulled her out of the car, closing the door behind her. “Watch your step,” he warned as he guided her slowly up the rest of the path. Akari was only half paying attention, adamant to know what the lights were and why Kiba had brought her out in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, the trees parted, and Akari stopped dead in the path as she stared around her in wonder.

“Oh, wow. It’s beautiful,” she murmured as she took a few steps forward. The trees had all been strung with thousands of glittering string lights, glowing soft yellow in the night. They were in a small clearing, and the night sky was open above them, the sparking white stars accepting the assortment of artificial lights. She looked back at Kiba, so delighted that she threw her arms around him in a hug. “Its magnificent! You did all this?” She cried.

“Well, I had a little help,” he admitted bashfully, holding her as she clung to him. “Come on. That’s not all,” he smiled and lightly pushed her away to take her hand and lead her out into the center of the grassy area. She looked down to see that it was more wildflowers than grass; the clearing bloomed with white dandelions and yarrow and purple forget-me-nots. They seemed to glow with the twinkling lights shining down upon them, and Akari felt like she was walking into a place full of magic. When Kiba stopped and turned back to her, he frowned deeply when he noticed her eyes were filled with tears. “What s wrong?” he asked her worriedly, reaching up to catch her tears with the tip of his finger.

“It’s just… I’m so happy,” she whispered as she looked back at him. She wound her arms around his neck, curling her fingers into the messy brown hair she loved so much. “I’m so happy you would do all this for me… You spent so much time and effort. Thank you,” she smiled genuinely. He smirked and grabbed her waist, and she looked down as he kicked a stereo that had been hidden in a deep patch of grass. Suddenly the forest clearing as alive with the sound of a love song, echoing all around them and floating up into the night sky. Akari exhaled slowly as Kiba pulled her towards him, while she looked around in wonder. “This is the song that played on the radio on our first date,” she recalled.

“You remembered,” he smiled at her, sounding genuinely pleased. She looked at him as he slowly began to dance her in a small circle, and when her eyes met his her heart completely stopped. They were so full of love and passion that it made her dizzy and breathless. _He did all of this to show how much he loves me,_ she thought, a smile forming on her lips.

“Of course I remembered,” she told him. “I remember everything about that day. The weather, the songs on the radio, the cars that passed by. Every bit. It was the day I thought that I could be with you the rest of my life,” she admitted shyly. “Is that sad?” She laughed as she looked down in embarrassment.

“No,” he mused and cocked his head to the side. “Sometimes, people just know. I knew,” he mused and brought his face closer to hers, making her unconsciously look up. “Happy one-year anniversary, Akari,” he breathed, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed softly against hers. For the first time that night, her heart was beating calmly, as she slowly danced with the man she loved most in the world. With the lights glowing above and the music echoing around her, she kissed him passionately as he held her gently in his arms.

 _I thought then that I could spend the rest of my life with you,_ she thought absently. _Now I know that I would, gladly._

As they slowly glided through the flowery field dancing to the love song, laughing and kissing, Akari knew that without a doubt, Kiba felt the same way.


	15. Bad Dream

Category: Family Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Naruto Uzumaki and Boruto Uzumaki

Boruto jerked awake in a cold sweat, clutching his blankets tightly as he looked around wildly. His blue eyes searched the dark for whatever phantom had haunted his sleep, only to be met with shadows. His little five-year-old heart was pounding furiously as he anxiously snuggled down into the blankets, trembling slightly with fear. He wasn’t sure what had actually frightened him so, but now the room seemed to have come alive; the shadows were dancing with the moonlight streaming in through the window, taunting him and inching closer to his bed. He whimpered and pulled the sheets up to his chin, his eyes sliding to the door. _I… I can make it…!_ He thought as he scooted towards the edge of the bed. He warily watched the shifting shadows as he edged closer, then he abruptly tore off the sheets and bolted to the door, throwing it open and taking off down the hallway. His feet pounded against the wooden floor as he raced towards his parents' bedroom. He slowed to a halt in front of the door, standing on his tip-toes to grasp the doorknob and push the door open.

“Daddy?” he called quietly. As the moonlight spilled into the room, it illuminated the sleeping forms of his parents curled up together under the comforter. Boruto tip-toed over to the bed and put his hands on the edge, peering up at his sleeping father. Boruto reached up and poked him repeatedly in the cheek until he snorted and stirred. Naruto groaned and rubbed his eyes sleepily before his blue eyes cracked open and looked down drowsily at his son.

“Ngggh? Boruto?” he yawned and propped himself up onto his elbows. At the sight of the tears in the corners of his son's eyes and the slightly panicked expression, he smiled softly and reached out to gently stroke the boy's hair. “Did you have a bad dream?” he asked, and Boruto nodded sadly. The memory of the scary, dancing shadows and the phantom of whatever nightmare he had suffered surfaced once more, and the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks. As he began to sniffle, his father smiled wider and sat up fully. Boruto whimpered and raised his arms as Naruto reached down to pick him up and gather him into his arms. “Hey, little buddy, don’t cry,” he soothed.

“It was so scary,” Boruto sobbed and buried his face into his father's shoulder, grabbing onto his sleeping shirt as he cried quietly. Naruto wrapped him in a tight hug and rocked him back and forth gently, rubbing his back soothingly.

“I know. It was just a dream. Daddy won’t let anything hurt you,” Naruto murmured and slipped out of the bed to begin pacing slowly back and forth. Boruto sniffed and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, looking up at him doubtfully. Naruto smiled weakly and raised a hand to wipe his tears away, but it didn’t help much, because he was still terrified and crying.

“B-but… But the shadows, Daddy…” he mumbled, looking around at the dark bedroom. He hugged his father tighter as he imagined _those_ shadows moving too, reaching out with spindly black claws to pluck him from his father's arms and take him away. He began crying again, and Naruto pushed his head into his chest while gently shushing him.

“Hey, hey, it’s all right,” he comforted him. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“B-because you’ll protect me, Daddy?” Boruto asked quietly as he looked up tearfully. Naruto smiled and stroked his son's hair comfortingly.

“Of course,” he chuckled softly and dried his tears once more. “Daddy won’t let anything hurt you. But there’s nothing here that can hurt you, Boruto.”

“There were shadow monsters in my room!” Boruto protested and looked out at the ajar door, imagining the phantasms lurking just beyond the barrier of the moonlight. “They’ll get me…” he whimpered and clutched tightly to his father, laying his head on his shoulder while he stared uncertainly at the door.

“Well, why don’t I go chase them away, okay?” Naruto smiled and held him in one arm while grabbing the door and pulling it open. Boruto whimpered and clutched onto his father tightly, looking around fearfully as they proceeded down the hallway. Naruto eased the door of his bedroom open and peered inside. Boruto whined loudly and covered his eyes with his hands, but could not help but peek through the gaps in his little fingers. It was still dark, and he felt his heart begin to pound furiously. _Daddy is strong… He'll protect me…_ he thought as Naruto carried him over to the bed and laid him down, pulling the sheets over him and tucking him in. “Now, let’s see about those monsters, huh?” he smirked and looked around the room.

“They were everywhere, Daddy,” Boruto sniffled and shrunk down under the covers.

“Well, first, let’s check under the bed,” Naruto huffed and squatted down, turning his head sideways to peer under the bed. “Nope! None here. See?” he said and motioned for Boruto to take a look. The young boy blinked uncertainly, then hesitantly, he crawled over to the edge of the bed and slowly hung down to peek under the bed. He was met with nothing but dust bunnies. _No shadow monsters…_ he realized, sitting up. Naruto jumped to his feet to stroll over to the closet and open the door. “No monsters in here, either,” he confirmed and shut the door.

“Can you check by the window?” Boruto asked quietly, imagining dark fingers sneaking out from behind the curtains. Naruto smiled and snuck over to the window to dramatically wrench the curtains aside. Moonlight streamed into the room, chasing away the rest of the lingering shadows. “No monsters here,” Naruto smiled at him. Boruto glanced around, then sighed deeply as he finally relaxed. _I’m safe…_ “All right, now, go to sleep,” Naruto smiled and walked back over. Boruto snuggled back under the covers as his father gently leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. He then frowned and looked around doubtfully.

“Daddy… What if they’re only hiding? What if they are scared of you, and when you leave, they come out?” he whispered fearfully. Naruto cocked his head to the side thoughtfully, then smiled softly and stroked his hair again. “Will… will you stay with me for a little while? Because maybe if you stay, they’ll get scared and run away!” he thought. Naruto raised an eyebrow, then smiled slightly and nodded.

“Okay, okay,” he laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed, scooching Boruto over as he stretched out beside him. Instantly comforted, Boruto sighed happily and curled up beside his father, who yawned and wrapped an arm around him.

“Goodnight, Daddy,” he murmured as he yawned, sleep finally coming back to him. Wrapped in his father's arm, a smile formed on his face. _Daddy will always keep me safe…_


	16. The First Date

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Rock Lee and Female OC

“Five, six, seven, eight!” Ren shouted as she clapped her hands together in a rhythm, standing in formation with the rest of her cheerleading squad. In response to her count-off, the team's coach clicked the “play" button on the portable stereo, and peppy music boomed from the speakers. Immediately, the team jolted into action, performing their meticulously practiced routine. Ren, as the captain, felt even more pressure to perform perfectly, and she ran the steps through her mind as her body performed the motions. _Step, clap, dun-dun, da-dum,_ she thought as she danced along to the music and shouted chants. Then came time for the stunts, and the cheerleaders seamlessly arranged themselves into the proper position. Four other girls came up beside her, forming a square and locking their hands together to form a hold for her feet.

 _Moment of truth,_ she thought as she vaulted herself onto the foothold and was promptly lifted high into the air. On each side of her, two pyramids had been made featuring the two males on the team, as her coach had thought that it would make for a more aesthetically pleasing picture. They were pulling out all the stops for their championship competition this year. Ren took a deep breath and clapped her hands, then held up her arms and pulled up one of her legs to form a “P" shape. Below her, the girls not involved in holding up the three flyers were performing impressive tumbling stunts. As the two ended with back flip-twists, it signaled the flyers that it was time to fall. Ren jumped up slightly and turned quickly in the air, once, twice, and then fell in the waiting arms of her team mates. They scurried back into the final formation in perfect timing with the ending of the song, and Ran could not help but exclaim happily.

“Perfect!” she praised her team as she bounced out in front of them and turned to face them. “Great job, everyone! Soon thus routine will be like second nature to us! All right, now that we have the first section down, we can proceed to learning the next bit!” she proclaimed, then narrowed her eyes as the alarm on her phone went off, signaling that practice was over. She sighed heavily and switched off the obnoxious ringtone. “All right, guys, pack it up. You got off easy, but tomorrow is going to be rough, so bring your A-game!” she shouted as her team scattered to begin retrieving their things and start off towards the parking lot adjacent to the practice field. As Ren jogged over to the bleachers and began packing up her bag, she became aware of very loud giggling off to her right. She looked up to see her vice-captains, Ino and Sakura, sitting on the bleachers and looked at her. “What is it?” She asked them curiously.

“Ren, we know someone who has a crush on you,” Ino teased, then looked at Sakura knowingly. They both erupted into another fit of laughter, making Ren frown and drop her bag to walk over to them.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense!” she cried. “Who is it?” She demanded, but they both shook their heads fervently.

“No, no! We promised we wouldn’t tell!” Sakura insisted.

“Then why tell me someone has a crush on me?” Ren cried as she threw up her arms in exasperation, turning her back to them. Suddenly they squealed in delight, and as Ren looked back at them she could see them wriggling about and gazing excitedly at the entrance gate to the practice field. Ren followed their gaze to see three guys making their way across the concrete walkway, one of them seemingly being encouraged by the other two. Ren, mildly curious and mostly concerned, waiting anxiously as the three newcomers joined the lingering cheerleaders at the bleachers. _Oh, I know these three!_ She realized.

The one on the left was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed oblivious boy Naruto Uzumaki, the local class clown with a heart of gold. He was also one of the local heartthrobs, second only to the school hottie Sasuke Uchiha. Both were on the basketball team and bitter rivals, but also the best of friends you could ever meet. His easy-going personality and chatty demeanor made him a ready conversationalist with anyone who was around, making him notably popular with the ladies; unfortunately, he wasn’t too proficient in the love department, and you pretty much had to slap a confession into his face for him to realize anything, so despite his popularity, he was single.

The one on the right was Shikamaru Nara- dark-haired, foul-mouthed, and unmotivated, but the most brilliant boy you could ever come across. Sheer laziness kept him from graduating early and proceeding to university, but even so, his intellect was unmatched, even by the team's resident genius, Sakura. He was constantly skipping class, though, and was often found sleeping in the most unexpected places, making him one of the school's renowned “bad boys.” Plenty of girls found that attractive, but- and she had heard this first-hand from Ino, one of his childhood friends- he found relationships a “drag" and turned down any girl who bore her heart to him.

The one in the middle was a boy she hadn’t expected- Rock Lee. The school’s champion track star and local MMA legend, but as dorky as they come. Bowl haircut, formal style of speaking, and huge eyebrows- not a recipe for a desirable man. Still, he was upbeat and driven, something she could admire, and rumor had it that despite his unpopularity, he treated every girl like a queen. For a long time, his object of affection had been Sakura, who of course rejected him. He took it hard, rumor had it, but after a day or so he was running through the halls determined to win her heart- sending her surprise bouquets of flowers and the like. Sakura had found it annoying until he beat up a few football players that had harassed her after a game, and after that, the entire team had a healthy respect for the boy.

 _But why are they here?_ She thought. Naruto was Sakura's best friend, so he was often around after practice, but none of them had any interaction with Shikamaru except when he bothered to come with Naruto to the field, and this was the first time she had ever seen Lee here. She blinked in surprise when they stopped in front of her, and Naruto gave Lee a slight shove in the back. He stumbled forward, standing awkwardly in front of her as he blushed lightly.

“Yo, Ren!” Naruto grinned and gave her a casual salute. “My boy Lee here has something he’d like to tell you.”

“Can we get this over with? Why did you have to bring me along, anyway, Naruto?” Shikamaru sighed deeply as he slouched beside the peppy boy with his hands in his pockets.

“For moral support, you jerk. Go on, Lee! Woo her!” Naruto laughed stupidly, and Ren went red as Ino and Sakura exploded into excited screams. _It… can’t be. Lee?_ She thought as she stared up at the boy twiddling his thumbs in front of her. Abruptly, he changed his entire demeanor, smiling confidently as he gave her a thumbs-up.

“Ren! I am here to ask- would you ever considering going on a date with me?” he cried ecstatically. Ren blinked at the sudden question, and her mouth opened and closed a few times. Before she could answer, Sakura and Ino appeared on either side of her.

“Would you excuse us for a moment?” Ino beamed as she stuck out her tongue at the boys before they whisked her away a few rows above the bleachers and sat her down, standing in front of her with their hands on their hips. “All right, Ren, now don’t screw this up!”

“Screw _what_ up?” She blinked.

“Your chance!” Sakura exclaimed. “You’re the cheerleading captain, and you’re damn near the only one of us that’s single!”

“Well, not all of us can pick up hunks like Sasuke,” Ren snorted at her, and Sakura momentarily swooned at the mention of her beloved boyfriend.

“That’s besides the point! Lee is a great guy! He’s caring, and passionate, and soooooo tough,” Sakura sighed dreamily.

“Are you sure _you_ don’t want to date him?” Ren asked doubtfully, raising one of her eyebrows and looking past them to look down at the unassuming boy. He was running around in circles now, fretting about her answer; Naruto gave him a good whack to the head, and he immediately plopped down on the bleachers to go into a mini-depression. _He's just… I don’t know,_ she thought doubtfully.

“Yo! What are you girls doing up there?” Naruto shouted up at them impatiently. “Give my man an answer, will ya? I got a hot date with a ramen cup and I ain’t gonna be late!”

“It is no use. She will not go out with a loser like me,” Lee moped, and Ren felt slightly guilty for judging him prematurely. _Like Sakura said, he could be a great guy. There’s a reason all the guys respect him,_ she thought as she rose to her feet and stepped onto the bleacher.

“Lee!” she called down to him, and he gasped as he looked up at her with wide eyes. _God, those eyebrows!_ She thought as a shiver ran up her spine, but she steeled her resolve and swallowed. _All I need to give him is a chance… Nothing more._ “I’ll go on a date with you,” she conceded. She jumped violently as he leaped to his feet and threw his hands up into the air with a triumphant crow.

“Yes! Oh, this is fantastic! I must tell Guy-sensei! He will never believe that I got a date!” he screamed and promptly jumped over the chain link fence to take off down the football field. She blinked, and he had made it halfway across already. _Damn, he is fast!_

“Hey! Lee! Ugh, forget it!” Naruto laughed and turned back to look at her. “He’s gone. Mind giving me your number so he can text you later?” he called, and she nodded and carefully picked her way down the bleachers to join the boys on the concrete. She gave Naruto her number to relay to Lee. “To be honest, I didn’t think you would say yes,” he admitted with a small smile.

“Me either. Why did you?” Shikamaru asked curiously. Ren frowned as she cocked her head to the side, trying to find an honest answer.

“I don’t know him well,” she told them finally. “But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to judge by first impressions. There isn’t any harm in going out once with him. Besides…” she thought as she stared at the place the boy had run off. “He looked so sad at the thought I would refuse. If going out with me once makes him that happy, then I would like to give him a little hope. No one deserves to feel like they’re undesirable.” The two boys stared at her in shock, then grinned at each other.

“What a girly answer,” Naruto chuckled, and she blushed slightly in irritation.

“Ugh! You re too dim-witted to get it!” she cried and slung her bag onto her back, stomping off with a huff. The two boys laughed at her, and as she marched off towards her car, she heard Naruto's voice floating after her.

“You’d better watch out! Lee is more than a catch than you think!” Though Naruto’s tone was joking, the words made her pause as she opened her car door. She looked off at the practice field again, the image of Lee bolting across the grass returning to her mind. She smiled, threw her things into the passenger seat, and then got in to begin the drive home.

Later that night, Lee texted her and they arranged a time and day for their date. A few days later, she awoke on a sunny Saturday morning and immediately jumped out of bed to begin getting ready. Though she had been apprehensive about the entire situation, she still found herself growing excited and had that happy-nervous feeling. Perhaps it was because it had been quite some time since she had been on a date, and it didn’t matter who she was going with- she was going on a _date_ , with a _boy,_ and that was enough to send her heart fluttering. She washed and blow-dried her hair, applied a modest dosage of make-up, and changed into a flattering but not-to-flashy sundress paired with sandals and a bow for her hair. She stood in front of her mirror, turning this way and that to analyze her reflection, and nodded in approval. She finished just in time, as it wasn’t long until she heard excited rapping at her front door. She answered it to find a very breathless Lee standing in the threshold, his cheeks pink and a sheen of sweat on his face.

“A-and you all right?” She cried in alarm, then gasped as he held out a bouquet of roses for her.

“I-I was on my way here, and then I saw this flower shop, and I realized that I just had to buy you flowers, but I couldn’t decide which ones to buy,” he panted as she hesitantly took the bouquet and looked it over. She flushed bright pink, happiness bubbling up inside of her at his thoughtfulness.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful,” she smiled at him, and his face immediately lit up at her gratitude. He straightened up proudly and gave her a thumbs-up.

“I am glad you like them!” he cried.

“Why don’t you come inside for a minute so I can put these in a vase, and then we can leave?” She offered, and he went dark red but slowly nodded. She backed up into the entryway to let him pass, closing the door behind him. He shuffled awkwardly as she walked towards the kitchen, just standing there, and only moved when she beckoned him to join her.

“I-I have not been in a girl's house before,” he mumbled shyly as he mulled about her kitchen table as she filled a vase with water and placed the roses inside. She chuckled slightly at his embarrassment. _He’s adorable,_ she thought as she placed the flowers in the windowsill.

“There. Shall we?” She asked him, and he nodded emphatically and rushed to her door, in a hurry to escape the awkward situation. Ren locked up behind herself, and together they began to walk towards the sidewalk. Thankfully, it was a nice day for walking, and Ren didn’t live far from the city. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked alongside him, enjoying the feeling of the sunshine warming her skin and the sound of birdsong mingling in the air with typical city noises.

“Ren,” he said suddenly, and she looked up at him. As their eyes met, he shyly dropped his gaze and scratched at the side of his head. “I-I just wanted to thank you. For saying yes. It made me… very happy.”

“I’m glad,” she smiled up at him, and she truly was. She could tell it just by looking at him- the constant smile, the bounce in his step, all signs of someone truly elated. He beamed at her, and she smiled back, and then she realized that she was very happy, too. _Maybe… Lee isn’t that bad,_ she thought as they continued on to the city.

The peace and relative quiet of the residential district gave way to the humming, bustling business of the city. Cars trolled by, their engines humming and filling the air with heat and noise. Ladies walked along, giggling and laden with shopping bags; mothers and fathers came along with strollers, or holding the hands of their older children, glowing bright with the joy of being part of a family. Local thugs loitered about and school punks skateboarded by, businessmen and businesswomen hustled along chattering on their phones with tight grips on their briefcases, school girls enjoyed the weekend with window shopping. It was the perfect scene of a busy Saturday afternoon, and the crowd pushed Ren a little closer to Lee. _There are so many people,_ she thought as she struggled to keep up with him.

“Ren?” he asked her abruptly as a large man passed between them. “May I hold your hand?” he asked quietly, then added in a fluster, “S-so we do not get separated! Please don’t presume-!” Before he could go on trying to explain himself, she reached out and took his hand, smiling happily. He calmed down a little, smiling before resuming the trek through the crowd. Though the action had been seamless and apparently effortless, Ren was screaming inside, the feeling of his hand in hers making her heart race. She unconsciously squeezed his hand slightly as they walked along, slightly dizzy from all the panicky thoughts running through her mind. _I can’t believe I just did that! Does he think me presumptuous? Oh, what if my hand gets sweaty? Ack!_

She continued to fret silently until they made it to their destination, a little ice cream shop tucked away between two big-ticket department stores. As Lee opened up the door for her, a little bell rang to signal their arrival, and a store clerk cheerfully shouted a greeting as she walked inside. Lee followed her to the counter, and her mouth watered at all of the flavors to choose from.

“They all look so delicious!” she cried as she struggled to decide.

“I know exactly what you mean!” Lee sighed. “I always have such a hard time. I am very indecisive,” he mused with a cheeky grin. Ren giggled and stared at the selection for a little while longer. “I have an idea!” Lee suddenly announced. “We should try all of them!”

“All of them?!” she cried, looking up at him in shock. He was perfectly serious, however.

“Yes! This shop offers a sample platter that features every flavor!” he grinned triumphantly.

“Lee! How can we possibly eat it all?” She laughed, but was admittedly leaning towards agreeing. That many flavors of ice cream- who could refuse the temptation? Lee grinned at her and punched the air with his fists.

“Do not worry! I will make sure none of it goes to waste! If we cannot eat it all, then at my next track practice I will run twenty extra laps!” he swore. She raised her eyebrows at him, shaking her head at his excessive proposal, but couldn’t help but agree to the challenge. In a few short minutes they were sitting at a table with a platter of twenty scoops of ice cream. “I may have made a mistake,” he said woefully as they stared down at the intimidating display.

“We committed to it, so let’s get down to business!” she grinned and picked up a spoon.

“Now that is the spirit!” Lee cried excitedly and followed suit, and together they attacked the platter of ice cream. Ren soon figured that she had died and landed in Heaven, as each wonderful flavor melted in her mouth. _Chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, coffee, raspberry sorbet,_ she listed off each one as she tried the creamy delicacies, savoring each spoonful. Lee, on the other hand, was inhaling the ice cream with gusto, and soon he slammed his head down on the table with a wail. “Owwwww! I have a brain freeze!”

“Don’t eat so fast!” she giggled, and he looked up at her miserably. He then blinked at her.

“Hey, Ren. You have ice cream on your face,” he pointed out, and she gasped and began rifling through her purse for a compact mirror. “Do not worry. I will get it,” he proclaimed, and suddenly she felt his finger swipe across her cheek. She went dark red as Lee licked the ice cream off his thumb as if it was nothing. _Th-that was… Oh,_ she thought as her mind went blank, and her cheek tingled where he had touched it. Lee seemingly had no idea of how smooth the move was, as he was now eagerly attacking the ice cream once more. She sat there, stunned, for a moment, until he prodded her with the end of his spoon. “Are you finished? We still have half of it to go!”

“Ah! N-no, I was just thinking,” she lied and resumed eating, bright pink the entire time.

It took them over an hour to do it, but somehow they managed to finish off the entire plate, earning a round of applause from the store. The clerk hurried over to them with a camera, beaming proudly.

“I can’t believe you two did it! Let us have a picture for the wall!” he grinned at them, and Ren shifted uncomfortably. _A picture… With Lee…_ she thought, but allowed herself to be ferried over to a bare wall regardless.

“Woohoo! I have never felt the power of youth so strong!” Lee cried as he jumped up and down next to her, punching the air again, but she was nervously fidgeting as the clerk prepared to take their picture. Lee settled down as the man snapped playfully at him, and they stood side-by-side while the clerk counted to three. Suddenly, Lee stopped him and looked down at her. “C-can I… Um… Do this?” he asked shyly, and suddenly his arm slipped around her waist. She stiffened, swallowing, and he hastily retreated. “I am sorry. I did not mean to-"

“N-no. It’s okay. You can,” she said quickly, and he looked at her funny before slowly drawing his arm around her waist again. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her ribcage, but at the same time she felt like she was floating, blissfully happy at the feeling of him pulling her closer to him. _I never imagined he could make me feel this way,_ she thought as she beamed happily, the camera flashing. _I pinned him as some dorky runner, but… Lee is…_ she looked up at him as the clerk thanked them for their time. _Considerate, and cute, and… Even manly,_ she thought as he looked down at her and grinned.

“Shall we go, Ren?” he asked and offered his hand to her. She took it gladly, and he walked her out of the ice cream shop. As they descended into the crowd, Ren grew a little bold and pressed up against him, her heart pounding the entire time. They walked for a while, but soon grew tired because of their full bellies, so they decided to rest on a bench. They sat down beside each other, their hands still linked.

“Hey, Lee?” She asked him, her voice barely audible over the sound of the city.

“Yes?” he blinked down at her. She chewed on her lip for a moment, then, as she scooted closer to him on the bench, she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt him gasp slightly in surprise.

“I’m really happy I said yes,” she told him and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him beside her. He fell silent for a minute, and then she felt him rest his head on top of hers and squeeze her hand slightly.

“I am glad,” he told her quietly. They just sat there for a long while, oblivious to the sounds of the city around them and not caring about who happened to walk by. They were in their own little world, just happy to be together.

“Would you ever consider going on a second date with me?” She asked him after a long while, looking up hopefully. Their eyes met, but he didn’t flinch away this time. He stared at her with an expression of mild shock, and then he grinned widely and gave her that signature thumbs-up.

“Of course!” he beamed, and as he beamed down at her, her heart took flight. She felt like it was the beginning of something special, something she had never known but had always longed for. _I’m so glad,_ she thought as he stood and pulled her to her feet to rejoin the crowd again. _Rock Lee, thank you._

_Thank you for choosing me._

 


	17. A Twist of Fate

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Kiba Inuzuka and Female OC

Akari glanced down at her phone with pursed lips, then glanced up at the door worriedly. _Where is he?_ She thought as she craned her neck to scan the faces of the passersby, but none of them were the face of her long-time boyfriend. She looked back down at her string of text messages with no reply. _Did something happen?_ She thought anxiously as she hit the “call" button and raised the phone to her ear and waited for him to pick up on the other line. She gasped lightly when it was not he that answered, but his answering machine. _Could he be ignoring me?_ She thought as she pulled the phone back, staring at it as a sudden realization struck her.

“Did he… stand me up?” she whispered as tears rose to the corners of her eyes. She slunk down in her seat miserably as she locked her phone and set it on the table, trying to keep herself together as the waiter strolled up to her and set down the bottle of wine she had ordered fifteen minutes ago. _What was his name again? Kiba?_ She thought as she looked up at him. He had messy brown hair and a slightly feral look, and a tiny voice in the back of her head uttered, _Wow. He’s attractive._ He glanced down at the empty seat, then smiled gently at her.

“Will you be expecting the other member of your party soon?” he asked gently, and Akari felt her bottom lip quiver as she reached forward to grab the bottle of wine by the neck.

“No. I don’t think so,” she answered tersely and popped the bottle open, pouring a healthy amount of wine into the glass before setting it back down. She raised the wine glass to her lips, but didn’t realize that her hand had begun to shake from a mixture of anger and despair, and she gasped as she dropped the wine glass and it shattered all over the table. The white tablecloth abruptly turned red- as did the waiter's nice white dress shirt. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry!” she cried and jumped to her feet, knocking the wine bottle over and spilling even more wine over the table and him. “Ah! Oh, no, no, I’m so sorry!” she wailed in embarrassment and covered her face with her hands.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kiba smiled at her, and she had to give him credit for nor growing angry with her. She was already highly emotional, and the mortifying incident pushed her over the edge; so, she began to cry miserably. “Ah! Really! It’s no big deal! It happens a lot more than you think!” he cried and waved his arms frantically. She shook her head as she sniffled sadly, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.

“No, it’s not that,” she moped as she plopped down into the chair and motioned to the phone that had somehow survived the wine spill. “My boyfriend stood me up,” she sighed deeply and leaned her cheek in her hand. “I’ve been dating him for a long time now, and I thought things were going so well…” she sniffled as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Then I spilled wine all over your nice tablecloth and your nice shirt, a-and… n-now I’m a m-mess!” she sobbed and buried her face into her hands once more. She was acutely aware of the waiter standing awkwardly beside her, soaked in wine and probably judging her.

“…Miss?” he asked her suddenly, and she peered through her fingers to see him smiling gently down at her. She lowered her hands to stare up at him through teary eyes, and he laughed nervously before shuffling his feet and slowly eased himself down into the chair across from her. “I don’t think you’re a mess,” he smiled at her, and she blinked as he reached out to grasp her hand. He hesitated for a moment, but when she did not retreat, Kiba smiled wider and gently grasped her hand. “You’re just upset, that’s all. Of course you’re going to be upset that your boyfriend stood you up,” he consoled her. He then laughed under his breath, looking down at his lap in embarrassment.

“What?” she asked curiously. _He’s still holding my hand…_ she thought with a light blush, then jerked up slightly when he looked back up at her.

“I just… I can’t imagine why someone would stand up such a beautiful girl like you,” he admitted shyly. Her heart rate skyrocketed, and she smiled bashfully, and now it was her turn to look down at her lap. “Look, I know that you're _technically_ still dating this guy and you’re not exactly in the best place right now…” he started, “but, I get off in about fifteen minutes, so, if you would like… I can take you out on a date instead?” he offered hopefully. Akari looked down at her phone, then back up at him.

“Yeah. Yeah, I would like that a lot, Kiba,” she smiled at him. He blushed and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“I can’t believe that I asked you out and I don’t know your name,” he grinned in mild embarrassment. _He is so cute!_ She thought with a giggle.

“It’s Akari,” she told him.

“Akari? What a beautiful name,” he smiled at her, and that smile sent her heart beating furiously against her ribcage. _My heart hasn’t beat like this… Since, well… even before I was dating him,_ she thought with a smile. He patted her hand and rose from the chair, and looked down at his stained shirt.

“I’m so sorry about your shirt,” she sighed deeply, putting a hand over her mouth in mortification. “And… The tablecloth…” she added with an anxious laugh.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I have a spare shirt and Lord knows we have plenty of spare tablecloths,” he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck shyly, shuffling his feet some more. “Eh heh, I should probably change shirts and finish my job!” he added as a man walked out onto the restaurant floor and gave him a stern look. He gave her an awkward wave before quickly retreating to the back of the restaurant. She smiled to herself and picked up her phone, her eyebrows raising when a message notification blinked. She stared at it for a minute, then smiled wider and turned off her phone completely. A few minutes later, Kiba came trotting back with a clean shirt and a grin on his face, offering her an arm. “Ready to go?” he asked her chivalrously.

“Yeah!” she nodded eagerly as she tucked her phone into her purse and rose from her chair to take his arm. He smiled down at her, making her heart flutter and heat rise to her face.

 _I can’t believe getting stood up led me to a great guy like this!_ She thought, and in a moment of brazenness, she leaned against him slightly, and her heart went _pit-a-pat_ as he casually slid his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at Kiba, smiling, and suddenly got the strangest feeling that she was going to be much happier with him than she ever could have been with her old boyfriend as they walked out into the night.

“So, you want me to kick this guy's ass?” Kiba asked suddenly, and the street rang with her laughter at the abrupt question.

“No, no, that’s not necessary. Appreciated, but not necessary,” she snickered and leaned her head against his shoulder with a laugh. He pulled her a little closer, making her heart pound even more furiously. _That’s not necessary, because I’m already over him,_ she thought happily. Perhaps that made her a horrible person, but she didn’t care, because she was being escorted down the sidewalk by a handsome guy who had cheered her up after a dismal night. _Thank you for coming into my life, Kiba. I hope you can stay in it,_ she thought as she glanced up at him, and when he glanced down at her with a smile, she thought that maybe he would.


	18. In the Line of Fire

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters: Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye

Prompt taken from the Tumblr blog, hellsdemonictrinity! Please check them out!

Riza narrowed her eyes slightly as she peered around the corner of the dilapidated hallway, her keen eyes scanning the dank area for any sign of movement. She raised her pistol, her finger resting on the trigger, as she edged forward. She whipped back behind the safety of the wall as the hall filled with flashing lights and frantic popping, for a rain of bullets ripped through the air. The projectiles embedded themselves into the wall a few feet away from her, a few of the crushed bullets clattering to the ground and rolling across the cracked concrete floor. The air grew silent after a few minutes of incessant fire, and Riza wrinkled her nose at the acrid scent of gunpowder.

 _“Have you cleared the second floor yet, Lieutenant?”_ Roy's voice buzzed over the transmitter in her ear. She raised a hand to press the button, peering around the edge of the corner once more.

“No, sir,” she answered with a small frown. “They’ve holed themselves up in the rooms.” Her eyes slowly trailed across the hallway, waiting for the enemy to venture back out into the open to take another shot at the military officer. A flicker of movement caught her attention, and she raised her pistol as one of the enemy crept out of one of the rooms, slowly edging his way down the hall towards the woman. Riza retreated back around the corner, listening to the sound of the man's timid footsteps slowly drawing closer. As she saw the edge of his boot poking just past the edge of the wall, Riza's arm snapped out to punch him in the nose. His head shot back with a sickening crack, and as he reeled she grabbed his gun with two hands, a semi-automatic rifle, and jerked it upward so the butt of the gun collided with his chin. He stumbled back again, but recovered faster this time and gripped the weapon tightly; Riza whirled it in his hand so that when he squeezed the trigger the bullets sprayed across the ground and ripped open his booted foot. He wailed in agony, allowing Riza to kick him in the middle and wrench the gun out of his hands. As he made for the weapon, she elbowed him in the face, and this time his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped over.

“Get her!” came a gruff cry from the end of the hallway, and Riza snatched the unconscious man by the collar of his shirt and held him up as the air came alive with rapid gunfire once more. She held him up as a shield as she quickly ran along the edge of the hallway, slinging the rifle over her back and shooting over the dead man's shoulder at the black lumps she could distinguish between the blinding flashes of light. She ducked into an empty room and threw the bullet-riddled body aside, loading another magazine into her pistol and waiting for the assault to die down.

 _“Lieutenant! What’s your status?”_ Roy buzzed in her ear again. There were several sets of footsteps approaching rapidly now; it seemed the enemy wanted to overwhelm her with numbers.

“I’m working on it!” she grunted and slung the rifle into her hands, quickly dipping out of the room to release a spray of bullets into the hall. Alarmed screams and bodies slumping to the floor followed, but a few escaped her attack by slipping into the rooms a few doors down. Once again, silence descended as the two parties waited for the other to strike, and time ticked slowly by as Riza stood in the door frame with her hawk-like eyes narrowed and her expression stony. _Come on out,_ she thought.

She gasped suddenly as the sound of shuffling feet came from the other end of the hall, and she slipped back into the room just in time before a stream of bullets ripped into the door frame. She slammed the door shut and flipped the lock, jamming a chair under the doorknob for good measure before backing away from the door. “I’ve been blocked in. They called for backup,” she alerted her superior as she wedged herself in the corner, as far away as possible from the door. She jumped slightly as it suddenly lurched violently, the doorknob shaking violently as one of the men threw himself at it in an attempt to bust it down.

 _“Lieutenant! Stay put. We're coming to get you,”_ Roy cried in her ear, but she was already crossing the room to head to the window, banging on it with the butt of the rifle. Cracks rippled across the glass as she hit it with all her might, and after a few good hits, it shattered and glass clattered to the ground, crunching underneath her boots as she punched as many of the sharp bits clinging to the window frame and turned to sit down on the sill.

“Can't do that, sir. I’m heading to the third floor,” she responded calmly as she pulled herself up onto the ledge above her, standing on the sill as she began banging on the window above her with the end of her gun. She ducked her head as glass rained down on her, and she slung the rifle around her back to grip the windowsill with both hands to begin hauling herself up.

 _“Lieutenant! That floor hasn’t been cleared yet! I said stay put!”_ Roy yelled at her, and as she pulled herself up into the window the door to the room gave way and she heard the enemy rogues’ feet pounding all over the floor as they searched for the disappeared woman. Riza dragged herself into the upstairs room just as one of them ran over to the window and ducked out, shooting at her feet while she rolled onto the floor, pistol in hand. She didn’t have much time as all the noise had likely attracted attention, and she quickly ran to a door adjoining the room she was in and the next as the door burst open and a man with another rifle stepped in and began shooting. She cried out as a bullet ripped through her calf, but she managed to stumble to the door and swing it closed just as another stream of bullets ripped through the air. She fell roughly onto her back after locking it, and she groaned as she crawled backwards to the opposite wall, leaving a thick trail of blood behind her. She grunted as she propped herself up against the wall, holding up her rifle as she watched the door lurch violently.

“Come and get me,” she growled as she held it up, her finger barely squeezing the trigger. The door jerked once, then twice, then another time, and she watched with hazy vision as the wood began to splinter underneath the force.

Then silence. The only sound was her own ragged breath tainting the air, until the frightened screams pierced joined in, and Riza narrowed her eyes as a brilliant red hue glowed in the small gap between the door and the floor. The doorknob jiggled, then turned red with intense heat, until the metal could take no more and melted to a puddle onto the concrete floor. The door slowly creaked open, and Riza smiled and lowered her gun as her superior officer stepped into the room, smirking without a scratch on him.

“Well. You look pretty good, considering you just got shot,” Roy commented casually as he looked down at the blood smears stretching between the door and her, but despite his cool demeanor she could sense the hard edge of his tone and see the crease of worry in his forehead. He crossed the room quickly to crouch down in front of her, grabbing the edge of his cloak to rip a large section of the fabric free. She gritted her teeth as he propped up her leg slightly to wrap the strip of fabric around her upper leg, tying it tightly to stop the flow of blood from her gunshot wound. He smiled slightly as Riza glanced at the door. “Don’t worry. I have Havoc keeping watch. We need to get you out of here,” he grunted as he slipped her arm around his shoulder and dragged her to her feet.

“I can walk on my own, sir,” she protested, but then hissed in pain as she tried to place her weight on her leg. The colonel ignored her objection and began walking her out of the room, where Havoc was leaning in the door frame with a rifle taking shots at whatever fool poked his head out of the room they were hiding in. Wiggling the cigarette in his mouth, he waved lightly at Riza and the colonel as she limped up beside him.

“Well, this mission is going _great_. I knew clearing out insurgents was going to be a cake walk,” he said cheerfully.

“Shut up, Havoc,” Roy grumbled and propped Riza against the wall, stepping briskly out into the hall. Before any of the enemy couldn’t react, he released a stream of fire down the hall, and the sound of screams mingled with the roaring flames. “There. That should buy us some time,” he huffed as he watched the burning hallway, ducking back into the room to once again support Riza and begin walking her slowly towards the stairs. Havoc walked backwards behind them, holding the gun steady as he watched for any sign of the enemy.

“Really, I’m fine,” Riza grunted as she shuffled along beside her superior. Really, she knew she wasn’t, but he had one arm around her middle and was pressing her close as he half-walked, half-dragged her down the hallway, and the feeling of his warmth made a blush rise to her cheeks even despite the dire situation. _Even in the midst of battle this man drives me insane,_ she thought, hoping she couldn’t hear her heart beating furiously.

“Don’t try and act tough,” he sighed as he kicked open the door to the stairs, easing her down onto the first step as Havoc held open the door. She pursed her lips, but then inhaled sharply as she put her weight down on his injured leg for a moment, and intense pain shot through her nerves in an instant and made her entire body shudder as she tried not to scream. Despite Roy tying off the wound, blood was still dripping out of her, spattering onto the steps as they inched their way down. _I’m hurt worse than I thought,_ she realized as she clenched her teeth.

Suddenly, the door to the stairs crashed open with a _bang!,_ and Havoc unleashed a stream of bullets and caught the perpetrators off-guard for a moment.

“Let’s get the hell out of here!” the blonde-haired man cried, then cursed as his cigarette fell out of his mouth. Riza cried out in alarm as she felt her legs suddenly give way, and she blushed fiercely as she realized that Roy had scooped her into his arms and was carrying her down the steps as Havoc shot repeatedly at the enemy behind them. She ducked her head as a bullet whizzed by, clipping a few strands of her hair as it went. Resigned to the situation, all she could do was throw her arms around her neck and hang on tightly, her heart pounding the entire time.

Somehow, they made it down to the first floor alive, and as they crashed through the door the insurgents behind them were met with the barrels of fifteen guns. It seemed the first floor had been cleared successfully and the military had made base camp there, luckily for the harried colonel and his two subordinates. The few surviving renegades that had chased them down the stairs opted to surrender, and as they dropped to their knees and were taken into custody, Roy carried Riza over to the medical tent and gently set her down onto a wooden box while a nurse came to fuss over her.

“It’s a clean wound, thankfully,” the woman smiled up at her as she assessed the damage. “Thanks to the colonel cutting off your blood flow, you didn’t lose too much blood, so you'll be fine. I’ll go arrange for transport, so we can get you to a hospital,” she chirped before vanishing into the tent to start a radio call. Riza sat calmly on the box while Roy bent down in front of her, staring at her bleeding leg.

“It’s nothing, sir,” she told him firmly.

“’Nothing’ my ass,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have sent you out there alone,” he sighed and ran his hand through his dark black hair. He narrowed his eyes sadly, reaching out with a gloved hand to gently touch her calf. A shudder ran through Rina’s entire body, and her heart rate skyrocketed. She was grateful that the glow from the lantern nearby eclipsed her raging blush, and looked away in mild embarrassment.

“Roy, we said we wouldn’t do stuff like this while we're on the job-" she hissed under her breath, and then she gasped when his finger caught her underneath the chin and turned her face. She blinked as his lips suddenly covered her own, but she found that she could not pull back; instead, her eyes drifted closed and she leaned into the kiss, her hand reaching up to gently cup Roy's cheek. They kissed for a moment, and then he pulled back, but only mere inches.

“I don’t care about that. You’re hurt,” he murmured.

“That nurse said I would be fine,” she sighed with a small smile. Part of her loved how much he worried about her, but the other part of her clung stubbornly to pride and hating to be seen as weak. Roy pursed his lips at her, unconvinced. Riza smiled and took his hands in her own, gently rubbing the tops with her thumbs. “Really, Roy, I’m fine. You saved my life.”

“Well, I guess it’s fair, considering you saved mine,” he murmured softly and brought one of her hands to his mouth to kiss her palm. Her heartbeat shot up again, and her cheeks turned pink. _Ugh, look at him, he thinks he’s so smooth,_ she thought as he smirked proudly up at her, and she rolled her eyes and pulled her hands back as the nurse came walking out of the tent.

“The transport is on its way. I’ll start preparatory treatment here. Colonel, I’ll take it from here,” the nurse said socially, and Roy slowly rose to his feet and cleared his throat as Riza stood up unsteadily to hobble into the tent.

“Take good care of her,” he called as he uncomfortably watched Riza duck into the tent. She glanced over her shoulder with a small smile.

“Shouldn’t you be clearing out the rest of those insurgents, Colonel?” she smirked at him, and now it was _his_ cheeks that turned a bright shade of pink. He scowled slightly at her as she chuckled and saluted him. He gave her one worried glance before whipping around to walk stiffly to return to battle, and Riza's smile slowly faded as she watched him go. _Be safe,_ she almost called after him, but she knew that the words were unneeded. He would always come back to her.

Just like she would always return safely to him.

“Let’s get that bullet wound taken care of, miss, before it turns into a problem,” the nurse chirped from inside the tent. Riza hesitated, watching Roy turn the corner, and then obediently entered the tent so the nurse could treat her. As she sat down on the cot and allowed the nurse to begin inspecting her wound, she smiled as she heard Roy barking orders.

He would always come back to her, and always be there in her time of need. _And I’ll do the same,_ she thought with a small smile, leaning back slightly as the nurse began to work on her bullet wound.

_I’ll always do the same._


	19. She's Not You

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Nami and Sanji

Requested by: Ella (Ao3)

As she clutched onto Jinbe's back while they raced through Big Mom's fortress in a desperate effort to escape, Nami again lamented the fact that Luffy had taken off without warning. Honestly, she had begun to expect it at this point, as her captain was incorrigibly reckless and irreparably stubborn, but that did not ease the strain on Nami's nerves. Still, she had better things to worry about that the whereabouts of her captain- like the fact that her life was in imminent danger. She screamed as a javelin sailed over her head, so close that it sheared through a few strands of her tangerine-colored hair before colliding roughly with the stone wall.

“Jinbe! We've got company!” she screamed as she glanced over her shoulder to find a squadron of armed guards chasing them down the hallway. Before the large fish-man could respond, suddenly the entire world heaved and the air became alive with light and deafening sound. Nami shrieked as she lost her grip on Jinbe's back and sailed through the air, landing roughly on her rump several yards away. She groaned and tenderly rubbed her behind, already feeling the bruises beginning to form. However, she did not have time to nurse her wounds. As she peered through the settling dust, she could hear the guards shouting at each other just over the sound of her ringing ears. Apparently, a stray cannonball had blasted through the fortress wall and disrupted the pursuit, and that had caused the explosion.

“Find them!” one shouted, and Nami's heart began to pound as she heard the furious shuffling of feet heading rapidly in her direction. She scrambled to her feet and took off in haste, unable to locate her companion; shouting his name would reveal her position, and so she was forced to flee in an attempt to hide. Running was no longer her desired tactic, but unlike a majority of her companions, she knew better than to try to take on an entire castle. Her heart jumping into her throat, she raced down the stone hallway as fast as her feet could take her.

“She must have gone this way! Split up! Search every room!” commanded another one of the soldiers just as Nami turned the corner and wrenched a door open. She ducked inside and latched the door, then pulled a heavy chair in front of it for good measure. Thankfully, she had chosen a room that was unoccupied- a bedroom, complete with a canopy bed and a nice vanity and a walk-in closet. Too bad she didn’t have the luxury of time to enjoy it. She clamped her hands over her mouth to contain the frightened squeak that threatened to slip out as someone began banging violently on the door.

“This is the palace guard! Open up!” the soldier shouted as he jiggled the doorknob. Nami realized that her only option would be to somehow talk her way out of it, so she swallowed nervously to steel her resolve before crying out in fright.

“You can't fool me! You're one of those Straw Hats!” she wailed, keeping her distance from the door to make it sound as if she was cowering on the other side of the room. “I won't let you in! You lawless rogues!”

“Ma'am, we are the palace guard pursuing one of the Straw Hat pirates. Please open the door so that we may search your room and make sure no one is hiding there,” came the exasperated reply.

“No!” Nami shrieked in response and pulled off one of her shoes to throw it at the door, making the soldier beyond cry out. “I am no fool! You had better get out of here right now before I call Mama! She'll stomp you all flat!” she shouted, and that threat seemed to spook the soldier. He spluttered some apologies before hurrying on his way, and after a brief period of silence, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Phew. It looks like I’m safe, for now.” But how was she supposed to find Jinbe? As she pondered the dilemma, she jumped when the door abruptly shook violently.

“In here!” came the same voice from earlier. Apparently suspicious, the guard had returned with reinforcements. The door lurched again, and the large chair jerked forward under the pressure. With seconds to act, Nami had no choice but to dive into the large closet. She pulled the doors shut just as  the door splintered and the chair flew across the room, slamming into the wall and causing dust to rain down on top of her as she buried herself in the lavish dresses and shoes the closet contained. She held her hand over her mouth as she attempted to keep her breathing quiet, listening to the guards search the room outside. The thumping sounds grew dreadfully closer, and Nami pressed against the back wall, hoping that the thick clothing would be enough to shield her from the unwelcome eyes. She managed to keep from jumping as the door to the closet lurched open.

“She has to be in here somewhere!” a voice growled in the entryway of the closet. Through the gap in a pair of ball gowns, Nami could see a massive individual standing there, blocking out all the light from the bedroom. He was holding a savage-looking battle axe and wearing a scowl. Terrified that her rapidly beating heart would reveal her presence, she just stood frozen in the back of the closet while the knight squeezed his bulk into the closet and began pushing his weapon through the closet in an attempt to locate anyone who could be hiding there. Nami's eyes went wide as the blade brushed against her side just enough to slice slightly through her shirt. Thankfully, the knight did not detect her and continued prodding around before grunting and looking over his shoulder. “The closet is clear! She must have slipped out one of the windows!” he called to his comrades gruffly before shoving himself back out the exit. Not breathing, Nami continued to stand silently, hidden amongst the clothes, while she listened.

A long period of silence passed before she allowed herself to finally release the breath she had been holding. Her arms fell to her side, and she realized that her knees had begun to shake violently out of fear.

“That was too close,” she whispered.

“Close indeed,” growled a voice, and Nari squeaked as the point of a spear embedded itself into the wall beside her, tearing through the ball gown beside her and sending fabric fluttering to the floor. She was now exposed. Hidden in the shadows of the closet entryway stood a small knight. “I knew you were in here. You can't hide from me,” he cackled, and Nami cried out in protest as he jumped forward to grab her by her hair and jerk her roughly out of the closet. Tears stinging her eyes, she gritted her teeth as he shoved her to the ground and placed the point of the spear to her throat. “You Straw Hat scum. Big Mom said we can't kill you, but surely if your death is an accident, it shouldn't matter, right? After all, it's Straw Hat Luffy that she really wants.”

Nami just glared up at him, shaking in frustration. She had lost her Climatact and was essentially defenseless. _Why does it always end up this way?_ She thought as tears began to roll down her cheeks and she dug her fingers into the lush fibers of the rug she was kneeling on. She was desperately wracking her brain for some way to fight back or escape, but he was standing between her in the exit, and any move she made would result with a spear through her neck. “Aw, are you crying? You pathetic girl. Don't worry. I'll give you a swift end, okay?” he crooned cruelly.

“How about I give _you_ a swift end?” a familiar voice jeered suddenly, and before the soldier could react, a booted foot slammed savagely into the side of his head with such force that he went flying across the room and crashed through the glass window, plummeting out of side. Nari gulped as the spear tip barely nicked her throat, and she trembled as she felt the blood running down her neck, a testament to how close she had come to death. “Asshole,” sighed her rescuer, and Nami slowly lifted her gaze to see none other than the man they had been searching so desperately for.

“S-sanji,” she stammered dumbly. The blonde-haired cook sniffed in disdain at the shattered window before crouching down in front of her with a broad smile.

“Looks like I got here just in time!” he grinned, as if he had not abandoned them and ridiculed them earlier, as if nothing had happened at all and it was just like before. “Are you okay, my dear Nami?” he asked as he raised a hand to inspect the cut on her neck. Anger flared inside of her, wrenching her out of her startled state, and she slapped his hand away.

“I am just fine, _Prince_ Sanji,” she snapped at him. Who did he think he was, parading in to her rescue and smiling like that like nothing had ever happened? He had beaten Luffy to a pulp and said such cruel things to them, which Nami could not easily forgive, regardless of her strong desire to. With a huff, she stood up and stalked across the room to peer out of the destroyed room into the hallway. There seemed to be no one around, for now, at least. The door was splintered beyond repair, so she could not close it, so she headed across the hallway into an undamaged room and went to close the door.

“Wait, Nami!” Sanji cried, slamming his hand against the heavy wooden door to keep it from closing. She glared up at him, pooling as much contempt into her gaze as she could.

“What are you doing? I don’t need your help, _Prince_ Sanji,” she spat acidly and went to push the door closed, but even though she was pressing her entire weight against it, he was definitely stronger than her. He shouldered his way into the room so that Nami fell against the door as his weight suddenly vanished, and she shot him another glare before latching the door shut and stomping away from him.

“Nami, come on. It's not like I wanted to say those things,” he protested as she began looking around the room, pretending to be interested in the decór. That comment set her teeth to grinding. “Nami, my family was holding the Baratie hostage. If I made any indication that I was going to go against the plan, they would have been dead, just like that,” he sighed and snapped his fingers. “Now, it's different. My marriage to Pudding is a sham. They were planning to kill me all along, so there is nothing holding me to it. Then, I just said those things because I had to,” he insisted. Unable to contain her rage, she began to shake, and despite her desire to simply ignore him, she whirled on him angrily.

“Because you _had_ to?” she shrieked at him. “Look, I know all about the whole plot Big Mom has going and your little family conflict, so don't try and make that excuse. You could have covered your ass without beating up Luffy and saying those awful things!” she snapped at him and turned her back to him so that he wouldn’t see her begin to cry. The truth was, she didn’t even want to be mad at him. She was so overjoyed to see him safe and alive, and more importantly aware of the dire danger he was in. Still, she was stubborn, and was going to make it clear that she was most displeased with him. “You said that we meant nothing to you,” she whispered, unable to keep the sob from slipping out. “I thought you abandoned us…” she murmured, and despite herself, a glimmer of her true feelings shone through. “I-I thought you abandoned me for Pudding.”

Nami couldn’t deny that she felt _something_ for him. After all, how could she not after all this time? Of course, she had never told him anything of the sort, half because she could never find the right time and half because she was afraid of his flirtatious nature. He was always projecting his affections on her, but there was no denying he was a skirt-chasing fool. That was enough to hold her back, and enough to make her fear that the charming Emperor's daughter was wily and beautiful enough to steal the man's heart right out of her hands. As she sniffled and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, she gasped slightly when Sanji suddenly hugged her from behind.

“Oh, Nami. You've got some wild thoughts in that pretty head of yours,” he smiled in her ear, and she tried to keep a defiant look on her face as her heart fluttered. “Pudding? Sure, she's something to look at, but you wanna know something?” he whispered, and the feeling of his lips against her ear sent a shiver up her spine. “She's not you.”

“You're just saying that,” she choked out, puffing out her cheeks. Still, she did not break free of the hug, but grabbed onto the arms wrapped around her middle. Part of her didn’t want him to ever let go.

“No, I mean it,” he purred, then sighed deeply to lean his head against hers. “I’m sorry… I made you cry,” he said sorrowfully. “I was just trying to look out for everyone, but I suppose I didn’t go about the right way of doing it… I was just backed into a corner. I didn’t see any way out but marrying Pudding to keep everyone safe. I even went so far to act so cruelly to you and Luffy when all you were trying to do was save me,” he frowned. He squeezed her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Nami,” he murmured. At his blatant apology, the last bit of defiant anger left inside of her melted away.

“I forgive you, you stupid fool,” she sighed deeply and lifted a hand to lightly punch him in the side of the head. “You had just better not do anything so stupid again. I mean it,” she told him firmly, making him laugh. She found a smile forming on her face. She really did like his laugh.

“I promise. I’ll never make you cry again,” he swore solemnly, and then did something she did not expect. In a bold move, he grabbed her by the chin and turned her face to kiss her full on the lips. Nami’s face felt like it ignited in a fierce fire, but she found that she could not pull away. As he angled his head and kissed her deeply, her eyes fluttered closed and she felt herself grow weak. All she could think about in those precious moments was him, how much she _loved_ him, so much that it hurt. When he broke away, she actually felt sad. “Still think I feel anything for anyone but you?” he asked with a smug smile, but as she gazed up into his eyes, she found her love matched.

“No,” she blushed, smiling bashfully. _Ugh. The things this man does to me,_ she thought in mild shame and tried to sort out her muddled mind. As he went in for another kiss, she gasped and clapped her hand over his mouth. “Luffy!”

“What about him?” he muttered, his voice muffled by her hand. He was obviously irritated that he had been interrupted.

“He's waiting for you, of course!” she snapped and pulled her hand back and stomped back to the door to unlatch the lock and wrench it open. In her anger at Sanji, she had completely forgotten about the feverish chase after their captain. Jinbe had likely headed on without her. As much as she would like to continue on with her tender moment with Sanji, there were more important matters at hand. “We have to go now! He could starve to death waiting for you!” she cried as she glanced back at him. “Of course, there's an entire army between us and him.”

“Let them come. I’ll send them flying,” he grinned as he kicked at the air emphatically before walking over to her side and looping his arm and hers. “Shall we, Nami, dear?” he asked goofily.

“Sure, _Prince_ Sanji,” she responding, but her tone was not one of hostility anymore, but teasing. His face scrunched up in distaste.

“Please don't call me that,” he whined as he pulled her out of the doorway, but she just giggled in response.

“Oh, but you still deserve _some_ punishment for the way you acted. Maybe a year or two,” she joked, and received a loud groan of despair in response.

 _Sanji… I’m glad you’re back,_ she thought happily as they rushed down the hallway, speeding to their waiting captain and a likely battle ahead. Still, with Sanji by her side, she finally had hope for the future again. _No matter what, I won't let him go again. Big Mom can come at me with her entire army, if she wants, but this time, I’ll fight with everything I have._

_Because he chose **me.**_


	20. Another Sleepless Night

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno

Prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Please give them a visit!

Sasuke's eyes fluttered and cracked open slightly, and when he was met with blinding sunlight, he groaned and quickly shut them again, trying to resist slowly rising into consciousness. He flopped onto his side and drew the comforter over his head to block out the morning sun, an arm reaching out to curl around his girlfriend's waist. When it flopped down against empty bedsheets, _then_ he opened his eyes. As he suspected, he was only greeted with the dilute light underneath the thick comforter rather than the sleeping form of Sakura that he had been expecting. Fully awake now, he staved off the desire to fall back asleep and threw the covers off, sitting up while he rubbed an eye sleepily.

His girlfriend was nowhere in sight.

“Sakura?” he called, and his attempt to summon her broke off into a loud yawn. He ran a hand through his mussed-up hair before sliding to the edge of the bed and hopped off, his bare feet meeting carpet. Scratching his bare chest as he smacked his lips, he looked around the room. Sakura's bath robe hung untouched on the bathroom door, indicating that she had not taken a shower in the morning, as was her custom. Her pink slippers were by the bedroom door, also; she always shuffled around the house in them as she headed off to the kitchen to make her coffee.

Sasuke rifled through one of the drawers in the bureau to procure a tee-shirt and pulled it over his head as he walked out of the bedroom in search for his girlfriend. As he passed the kitchen, he noted that their coffee machine, which automatically brewed a pot at the same time every morning, had a pot full of the brown liquid, long since cold. Frowning deeply, his feet carried him to the other end of the house, where a door on the end was slightly ajar. He quietly pushed it open and peered inside.

Sitting at the work desk, Sakura was scribbling away at a piece of paper, three medical textbooks open in front of her with more highlighter than actual black print. Scattered across the floor were countless pages of notes and diagrams and charts, and a half-eaten sandwich teetered on the corner of the desk. Unaware of his presence, Sakura grabbed her can of energy drink and downed the remaining contents before tossing the empty can into the garbage bin, which was overflowing with more empty cans and crumpled pieces of paper. The desk lamp was burning with light, and Sasuke imagined that if he touched it his fingers would come away scalded. “Another sleepless night?” he tutted as he pushed the door open all the way and stepped into the room.

“Shit! Sasuke!” Sakura cried and jumped violently, startled out of her concentration. Frowning deeply, she grabbed the tabletop alarm clock and pulled it close to squint at the numbers portrayed in neon green. “9:30 a.m.? Sweet Lord…” she muttered before flopping back in the rolling chair with a long, exhausted groan. As she tipped her head back, the dark circles under her eyes and the unkempt state of her normally luscious pink hair was glaringly obvious to him. He walked over to her as she was trying to rub the exhaustion out of her face.

“Sakura. This is excessive,” he scolded her and motioned to the deplorable state of her work space. Sakura was a tidy person, but you couldn’t tell by the mess that was presented. It looked like a tornado had come through the room, with the amount of strewn papers and pencils and trash. She pursed her lips at him, growing defensive.

“It's not excessive. This test determines whether I become a doctor, you know,” she huffed at him and sat up, but nonetheless began gathering the papers into orderly piles and straightening out the contents of her desk. Sasuke slammed a hand down on her textbook as she went to pull it close and begin reading the chapter.

“Sakura,” he pressed, the bite in his voice obvious. “You haven't slept in _three days.”_ Sakura puffed out her cheeks defiantly and looked away, tugging the book out of his grip to pull it to the end of the desk.

“I _have_ slept. I had a nice ten-minute cat nap last night,” she refuted matter-of-factly, as if such a minute period of time justified her crazed studying binge. Still, despite her resistance, Sasuke noticed the slump in her shoulders and the tinge of sadness in her expression. His frown deepening, he grabbed the arms of the rolling chair to forcibly drag her away from the desk and spin her around to face him. “Hey!” she protested loudly, but he grabbed her by the face and made her look into his eyes as she made to glance over her shoulder.

“ _Sakura._ You’re smart. You know that, don't you?” he asked her firmly. She stared up at him with a disinterested expression before rolling her eyes.

“Yes, yes, you tell me that all the time. I _know_ I’m smart, but this test will determine my _future,_ Sasuke! I have to pass, otherwise-“ she started to complain, but he clamped a hand over her mouth, cutting off her chain of excuses.

“There. You recognize that you’re smart. Now think about it. What happens if you walk into that test, sleep-deprived and delirious? How do you think you'll do then? You are trying to get into _medical school,_ for crying out loud. You should know that this isn’t good for you,” he sighed in exasperation. He lowered his hand, expecting her to give him a quick rebuke, but she just looked down at her lip, her expression turning into a dismal pout.

“You have a point,” she mumbled, playing with the frayed end of her blouse. _Wow. That was easier than I thought. She must be too exhausted to even argue with me,_ he thought with a small sniff and smirked slightly. He couldn’t complain. He was getting somewhere.

“Sakura, damn it, don't do this to yourself. Do you know how hard it is for me to watch?” he pleaded further, crouching down so that he was eye level with her. Her green eyes rose to meet his hesitantly. “You'll pass. I _know_ you will. So for God's sake will you just come to bed?” he chuckled softly and raised a hand to sweep a tangled strand of bubblegum pink hair out of her face. Sakura chewed on her lip, sulking, and looked back at the piles of notes and textbooks. Sasuke feared for a moment that he had not gotten through to the girl after all until she turned back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Okay,” she consented quietly, and Sasuke breathed a small sigh of relief. _This girl is almost too much to handle,_ he thought wryly as he wrapped her legs around his middle and picked her up. Sakura yawned loudly as she rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him. “You're warm,” she mumbled sleepily as he turned to carry her out of the office.

“Yeah. Maybe you would notice if you slept in bed instead of at your desk,” Sasuke snorted in amusement as he glanced down at her with a smirk. She didn’t reply, just buried her face deep into his neck with a small, sleepy sigh. _Has she gotten lighter?_ Considering she had barely eaten or slept for almost half a week, it definitely was plausible. _She's going to be the death of me. I have to look after her like a child,_ he sniffed in disdain, but the look her gave her was full of nothing but love. He carried her into the bedroom and held her in one arm as he pulled the comforter and sheets back, and then he gently laid her down on her back on the bed. When he straightened up, he smirked when he realized that she was already asleep, breathing deeply and softly. “You're such a wreck, Sakura,” he chuckled gently as he pulled the blankets up to her chin and brushed a few pieces of hair out of her face. He then smiled warmly and poked her in the forehead, his personal sign of affections. “Sleep tight, Sakura,” he murmured, pulling his hand back. As he turned to leave the bedroom, he glanced down when he felt her hand catch his by the wrist, and he looked at her to find she had cracked one eye open.

“I thought you wanted me to come to bed?” she mumbled, and her speech was so slurred with sleep that he wasn't sure she was even fully conscious. “Stay,” she begged him before her eyes drifted closed and her hand released its grip and flopped against the mattress. Sasuke stared at her for a minute, then sighed with a smile. He wasn’t going to refuse an excuse to climb back into bed, after all. He walked around to the other side of the bed to crawl underneath the covers with her, and in response to his body movement she rolled onto her side and curled up against him. Sasuke smirked as he wound his arms around her and pulled her close, enjoying the feeling over her head resting against his chest.

“You really are a wreck, you know. But I love you all the same,” he whispered into her hair, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before closing his eyes and settling into bed beside her. Soon, he fell into slumber, his deep breathing falling into rhythm with hers.


	21. The Man I Know and Love Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami stood in one of the expansive suite rooms that made up the large bulk of Bege's Devil Fruit castle fortress, her hands resting on the stone windowsill as she stared out of the towering glass window. Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue, with a few fluffy white clouds trailing idly by. To any normal person, watching the little fluffy ships sail across the calm blue expanse of sea above would probably provide some measure of peace, or relief; Nami just found it painfully ironic. The serene sky gave no hint of the coming storm.

During the meeting with Bege, they plotted the downfall of the relentless and ruthless Big Mom. It was a rather straightforward plan: the sham wedding would proceed, and at the instant that Pudding was to deliver Sanji a swift end, the attack plan would commence and hopefully they could dispatch Big Mom before she ever realized what was happening. It was a dangerous, risky plan for sure, all hinging on Sanji's ability to keep his cool during the wedding and good old-fashioned timing.

The entire idea of it made Nami sick to her stomach.

She glanced over her shoulder as she heard the vaulted wooden door open. She bit down on her lip as she felt her heart constrict in pain, but she quickly erased any evidence of emotion from her expression as Sanji closed the door behind him and looked up at her with that wide, goofy smile of his. _Is he not worried?_ She thought as she turned her head and resumed gazing out of the window, struggling to contain her pervading sadness.

“Nami? You're not still mad at me, are you?” the cook asked with a wan sigh, but Nami shook her head in answer. The anger had dissipated after their passionate kiss in the hallway prior to the meeting with their new ally. She heard him mumble in confusion before his footsteps softly approached, but she cast her eyes to the stonework on the windowsill, inspecting the chips in in the stone and its coloration in an effort to keep from falling completely apart. _Why is the world so cruel?_ A breath caught in her throat as he gently rested a hand on her elbow. “Nami. Look at me,” he said firmly, but as he turned her body she turned her head, refusing to look at him.

She couldn't bear to. They had gone through so much, sacrificed so much, to get this man back, and as soon as everything had _finally_ become right again and Sanji had even _kissed_ her, she had to watch him walk towards probable death? She had to watch him stand at the altar with that _other_ woman, who desired nothing more than to murder him in cold blood? No. She could not. Despite her best efforts to hide them, the tears began to spill from her eyes. She thought she had cried enough earlier, but apparently she still had plenty to shed. “ _Nami,”_ Sanji insisted, his voice greatly pained. “Why won't you look at me?”

“I can't watch you go,” she admitted with a small voice thick with emotion. “What if something goes wrong, Sanji?” she whispered frightfully. The murder plot had terrified her before, but knowing that Sanji was still walking straight into it was even worse. She felt his hand shift from her elbow to underneath her chin, and this time she allowed him to make her look at him. With a gentle touch, he turned her face to look at him. He was frowning deeply down at her.

“Nami. Nothing will go wrong,” he murmured. The confidence in his tone did little to quell her fears. “Do you really think I will allow Pudding to murder me?” At the mention of the treacherous girl's name, a flutter of doubt burned in Nami's belly. The feeling of Sanji's kiss resurfaced on her lips, but now that she had had time to think clearly, had that really meant as much as she thought it had? After all, he has simply turned and walked away with that nonchalant air about him, as if kissing her was as natural as any other action. Had the intense passion and love she had felt really been reciprocated? Or was the affection one-sided after all? The doubt must have made its way onto his face, because frown lines etched their way further in Sanji's own. “You still don't trust me,” he remarked, the disappointment clear in his tone. Guilt flashed through her, but she could not bring herself to deny it.

“I can't help it, Sanji,” she sniffed as she reached up and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. How was it this man could reduce her to _this,_ a sobbing, blubbering mess? _He makes me so weak._ “After all, she's so beautiful… So charming… It's just so hard to believe. It's no secret that you’re fond of pretty women. How can I believe it when you tell me I’m the only one, when you do the things you do and say the things you say? How can I believe that when you're standing in front of her in that wedding dress, looking into her eyes supposedly _pretending_ to love her, that you won't have doubts?” she asked him miserably. His face contorted with guilt, indicating that her harsh words had indeed struck a nerve.

“I suppose being a hopeless flirt is not helping my situation here,” he groaned and ran a hand through his hair with an uncomfortable frown, looking up at the ceiling as he searched for the words to appease the emotional female. He glanced back down at her, and though she was upset, the way he smiled softly at her still made her heart grow wings and flutter hopelessly. “It's true. Pudding's beautiful,” he admitted, and as her lips grew taut with displeasure, he hastily added, “but I don't care. I told you once, there is only one woman who holds my heart, and that is you.” His hand rose to her cheek, caressing it softly. When she remained unconvinced, he smirked. “Fine. If I can't tell you, then I’ll show you,” he mused, and she gasped as he grabbed her chin firmly and jerked her face forward to pull her into a kiss.

The first kiss was nothing compared to this one. This time, there was no doubt left in her mind. As their lips moved in a rhythm, her heartbeat joined in, pounding furiously in her chest as the passion bubbled inside of her. Sanji's hand migrated to the back of her head, gently cupping it as he angled his head, while the other slid to the small of her back to pull their bodies together. Nami placed her hands on his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat too, thumping almost as fast as hers. Words unspoken passed between them like a raging current, and she knew then that everything he had said had been true. _I’ll never doubt again,_ she thought as her heart swelled with love for the dashing cook, and she found the strength to kiss him back with all the love and passion burning inside of her. Nami wasn't sure how much time passed, but when they finally broke apart, they were breathless. Sanji's mouth curled into a smug smirk. “Believe me now?”

“Yes,” she sighed and slid her hands up his chest to wrap her arms loosely around his neck. “I want to hear you say it,” she added as an afterthought, referring to the thing left unsaid. She stared up into his eyes through her lashes, a faint blush tainting her cheeks. “Just so there's no doubt at all.” Sanji laughed heartily before leaning down to press his forehead against hers, smiling lovingly. Their lips were inches apart, and Nami had to squash the urge to kiss him once more.

“Fine. I love you, Nami,” he murmured. His voice was a soft purr, alluring and sensual, and it set Nami's heart to fluttering again. “Even when I’m standing there, at that altar, with Pudding in front of me, it won't be any less true.”

“It better be,” she sniffed, her usual defiance finally beginning to return. “Else you'll be on the receiving end of some hurt.” Sanji laughed at that, and angled his head to softly press his lips to hers once more. Though it was short, Nami savored the taste and the feeling, and grew sad when he pulled away.

“I have to go,” he whispered with a tiny smile, but his voice betrayed a hint of sadness. It seemed he didn’t want to go as much as Nami lamented him leaving.

“I love you,” she whispered and closed her eyes as she hugged him tightly. Sanji hugged her back, sighing gently as he rested his chin on top of her head.

“Don't act like this is goodbye,” he frowned and rubbed her back gently. “You'll see. I’ll come out of all this safe and sound,” he reassured her before pulling back and resting his hands on her shoulders. Again, he had that tone of confidence, and this time she willed herself to believe in him. _Sanji will come back to me. At the end of all this, everything will be right again… We'll sail to meet Zoro and the others and will be one step closer to the end of our journey._ She returned his smile, reluctantly letting him go.

“Okay. Go give them a performance they'll never forget,” she told him and lightly punched him in the shoulder. He smirked at her and gave her one last peck on the cheek before turning on his heel and striding across the room, all business as he prepared for the showdown that would define if they all lived, or perished at the hands of the murderous Emperor. Nami watched with mixed feelings as the man she knew and loved exited the room, and a hand rose to her heart as it cringed with pain.

 _I’ll believe in all of us,_ she told herself firmly. _We've always managed to triumph no matter how high the odds were stacked against us._

_I’ll believe… in Sanji…_


	22. The Epiphany

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock

Requested by: killercroc (FanFiction)

Luffy breathed in deeply as he sat on the massive bulkhead of his sheep, savoring the salty spray of the sea. He then snickered, howling the to the wind as he threw his arms wide.

“I’m the King of the Pirates!” he shrieked in delight, banging his feet against the ship. Though it had been quite some time since he had, at long last, acquired the title, it still made him positively giddy. It had taken a long time, and it had been a long, painful road, but he had _done_ it. He continued to bask in his success, laughing and making a racket, until he attracted the attention of his navigator.

“Luffy!” Nami sighed as she walked out of her study into the deck of the ship and put her hands primly on her hips. Luffy glanced over his shoulder, blinking, and then snickered slightly and obediently hopped down from the prow of the ship. “Good grief. I’m trying to make sure we make it to Amazon Lily in one piece, and your incessant banging doesn't help!” she complained as he hopped up on a barrel and began swinging his feet. He ignored her rant, picking his teeth, until she mentioned their destination.

“Oh! How close are we?” he beamed, perking up at the mention of the island filled with tough women. It was a particularly enjoyable location for him, as he had spent two years training intensively on the island after the decisive battle with the Navy, and it was home to his good friend Boa Hancock- not to mention, the food was mouthwatering. He grinned dreamily as visions of steaming, juicy tracts of meant danced in his head, and he didn’t even bother listened to Nami's conjectures and calculations. He was snapped out of his fantasies as Sanji, who was leaning against the side of the ship smoking a cigarette, frowned and released a plume of thick white smoke before speaking up.

“Amazon Lily? Isn’t that the island that Boa Hancock lives?” he asked. Luffy was the only one who had visited the primal jungle kingdom, but his friends were familiar with the proud woman who served as Luffy's benefactor. “The one who is totally head over heels with our knucklehead?” he added with a slight sniff of disdain, and Luffy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Huh? What do you mean, Sanji? She's just my really good friend,” he blinked. He liked Hancock a lot; she was very good to him in helping him storm Impel Down and supported him greatly in his quest to achieve his dream. Plus, she always fed him well when he was around. Both Nami and Sanji sighed deeply, pinching the bridges of their noses as they tried to level with him. Suddenly bored with the conversation, Luffy's attention lapsed once more, and he whined loudly as his stomach grumbled. “Sanji, is it lunch time yet? I’m hungry!” he complained as he beat his feet on the side of the barrel angrily.

“That's it!” Nami exclaimed, snapping her fingers as an idea bloomed in her bright mind. Luffy stared at her with wide eyes, not sure what she was quite so excited about. “Luffy, think of it this way. You know how much you _looooove_ food, right?” she asked him, speaking to him like he was a young child. A grin split Luffy's face as the mention of his favorite thing on the earth.

“Yeah! I love food! Especially meat! It's my favorite! Sanji, are we having meat?” he babbled excitedly, but his attention was drawn back to the orange-haired navigator as she snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of his face.

“Focus, Luffy,” she demanded. “Hancock thinks of you like you think of food,” she explained simply, and _that_ statement got the gears turning in his head. _Hancock… Thinks of me as food? No, no, she likes me as much as **I** like food, _he realized, frowning deeply as he considered the strange analogy. Now that he thought about it, Hancock always got this starry-eyed, funny look on her face whenever she looked at him and she was always so eager to please him. _She gets really sad when I say no to going on walks and stuff._ He suddenly got the insane vision of him going to chomp down on a particularly appetizing plate of meat and it suddenly screaming rejections, making him shudder slightly. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, his face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to understand the strange analogy.

“I’m not sure that I really get it,” he whined.

“Oh, forget it. It's pointless,” Nami sighed and rolled her eyes, throwing up her arms and slapping them to her sides in a motion of indicating her abandonment of the situation. Luffy continued to contemplate the puzzle of the beautiful woman and food all the way to the island of Amazon Lily.

As they docked in the port, the woman in question was there to meet them, flanked by her two gigantic sisters. She waved excitedly as Luffy hopped down onto the dock, holding his straw hat to his head as he took in the majesty of the island. He appreciated its wildness, its untamed growth of jungle, because it was simply ripe with adventure. While his companions prepared for their stay at the island, Luffy snickered and ran right up to the warlord, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her down the dock.

“Come on, Hancock! Let's go explore!” he howled with laughter as he took off into the island with the woman in tow. His crew mates shouted objections after him, but he ignored them, too caught up in his own excitement. He had no chosen Hancock as a partner aside from the reason that she was simply the only own available, but _she_ wasn't objecting. Her face had turned bright pink and she was holding a hand to her cheek, stammering and avoiding eye contact.

“Oh, Luffy, I would love to explore the jungle with you!” she sighed as he tugged her off the dock and into the loamy soil on the outskirts of the jungle.

“Great! Let's go!” the pirate captain cried and pulled her into the jungle. He let her go when they were well within the jungle, and he held his hat to his head as he looked around in wonder. The jungle looked pretty much the same as the last time he had been there, with towering trees and a forest floor thick with undergrowth, but he was determined to take down a wild animal or two for dinner and explore the areas he had not had a chance to in the two-year time span he had resided on the island. He raised an eyebrow when Hancock abruptly hugged his arm, propping her chin on his shoulder as she gazed up at him with sparkling eyes.

“I’ve missed you very much, Luffy,” she smiled up at him. _I am to Hancock like food is to me,_ he recalled, unsure of how to respond to the situation without much context. He thought of how long it felt since he had had his last meal, and he frowned when he realized that it seemed like a lifetime ago. He then grinned brightly down at her.

“Yeah! It's been forever since we last saw each other, huh? I really didn't think about it!” he cackled, then looked around with curious eyes, eager to explore the jungle. He shook off the Amazonian empress to stomp over to a well-sized stick and began poking it around in the bushes, hoping to scare some critter or another out in the open. He picked up the only thing he stirred up, a small, wriggling snake, then snorted and flung it into the bushes since it did not amuse him. He grabbed Hancock by the hand again and began pulling her along through the thick bushes and blooming flowers, whistling loudly as he searched the forest for something entertaining. He was pretty much unaware of the woman's swooning. He stooped beside a small river, poking his stick in the water in an attempt to disturb the minnows swimming around in it.

“I’m really glad you decided to stop here,” Hancock told him as she sat down on a rock beside him, her hands resting primly on her lap as she regarded him with a bright red, happy face. “It meant so much to me to hear you were coming…” _Food. Hancock. Food?_ He pondered with a frown. He glanced over at her, and suddenly instead of Hancock he was staring at a rice ball. _What the heck?_ He blinked and marched over to investigate the phantasm, and sniffed the strangely giant rice ball experimentally to make sure it wasn't real. He heard Hancock squeal, and he blinked, and then she was sitting there in front of him and his face was in her black hair. _Nope. Not a rice ball, just Hancock. How weird,_ he concluded with a shrug and straightened up, pointing down the river with his stick.

“Let's follow the river!” he shouted, and he rested the stick on his shoulder as he marched determinedly along the riverbank. Hancock followed behind, holding her face as she mumbled some nonsense to herself. Luffy glanced back at her occasionally to make sure she was following- and not a rice ball in disguise. _Maybe Nami's weird explanation got to my head,_ he frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he continued his journey along the small river. The trees began to grow thinner, less packed together, and large patches of sunlight splashed over the ground. He could hear the waves and smell the salty spray of the sea, indicating that they had approached the shore. His eyes widened as the forest abruptly fell away and he was walking one solid stone. “Cooooool! I haven’t been here before!” he grinned as he looked around excitedly. His eyes fell on an opening in the rocky ground, leading below the surface of the earth and even below sea level. “A caaaaaave! Come on, Hancock!” he cried and dragged the woman over to the entrance. “ _Helloooooooooo?”_ he called into the dark, snickering as he heard his voice bouncing off the stone walls.

“Be careful, Luffy. That cave is made of sea stone,” Hancock warned as she stood beside him. He shrugged; he could care less what it was made of. He just wanted to know if there was treasure in it.

“Bombs away!” he cried and jumped into the cave with a howl, clamping his hat to his head as he fell into the cave. The bottom was just a few yards down, and he landed securely on the sandy floor. He looked up at the light shining above, where Hancock was still standing. “Come onnnnn!” he whined impatiently, and the woman pouted at him before picking her way down the wall. She gasped as he foot suddenly slipped and lost her grip, and she shrieked as she fell into open air. “Uh-oh,” he blinked, and stretched out his arms to pluck her out of the air and pull her safely to her chest. Holding her like a groom would his bride, he looked down at her. “You're pretty clumsy!” he laughed.

“Oh, Luffy… You caught me!” she breathed, and even in the dark she could see her blushing. _Hancock thinks of me like food, so I should think of her like food? I wouldn’t want my food to get hurt,_ he thought as he set her down. _Or dirty._ To that end, he brushed her off with his hands, as she had gotten dusty from slipping on the loose sediment, and her body went rigid. He whipped around when he was finished, eager to explore, but when he walked a bit and looked back she was still standing stock-still.

“Hey! You coming or what?” he whined, and that was enough to pull her out of whatever stupor she was in and send her scurrying after him. He waited until she was beside him before continuing onward into the dank cave. It ran underneath the surface of the island, leading inland, but just barely. Several sections of the roof were open to the jungle above, and vines and tree roots hugged the walls while all sorts of mushrooms and molds grew in the dank conditions. Luffy tried to catch a crab as it scuttled away, but the crustacean squirmed into a crack and out of his grasp. As he straightened up, disappointed at the loss of his potential dinner, he blinked as the cave suddenly shuddered slightly.

“Luffy! Look out!” Hancock screamed, and he glanced up in time to see a sizable section of the rock roof breaking free and plummeting toward him. He let out an _oof!_ as it cracked into his head, and the force of the blow sent him sprawling out on the floor. He groaned as he tenderly rubbed his head, feeling a sizable lump in his black hair. He blinked when Hancock suddenly leaned over him, her face flushed and her expression worried. “Luffy! Are you all right?” she cried.

“I’m not sure,” he drowned. Hancock looked funny. Had her hair always been that shiny and silky? She had pretty eyes, too. She didn’t _seem_ that different, but Luffy still felt like it was the first time he was seeing her. As he stared at her, he felt strangely happy. _I like Hancock,_ he thought giddily, but somehow it wasn’t in the same context as before. He was happy they were alone, in the cave, and the others weren’t around to bother them. Hancock continued to frown down at him, and he grew strangely embarrassed as she ran a hand through his hair to check his head.

“Oh! You have a bump,” she fretted. “You poor thing… Let's get back. I’ll prepare a nice big feast for you. A little meat and a party should do the trick!” she decided, sitting up. _Yeah! A feast!_ He thought with a grin, the thought of meat tantalizing. He then frowned, falling deep in thought.

“No,” Luffy refused suddenly, and she looked down in him in terror.

“Oh, my God. You’re dying. Stay here! I’ll go get your ship's doctor!" she shrieked and moved to take off, but he grabbed her wrist so she wouldn’t leave. She looked down at him, eyes wide.

“That's not what I meant,” he explained. He wasn’t sure why, but a party just didn’t sound appealing to him right now. Nami would be there, and Sanji, and Zoro, and everyone else, and that just got in the way. “I just wanna eat with you,” he told her, and her mouth slowly fell open and something between a wheeze and a squeal slipped out of her. She placed a hand over her heart, bright red.

“Oh! Just m-me?” she stammered, and he nodded fiercely. _Yeah… Dinner with Hancock… That sounds really nice._ At his affirmation, she exclaimed excitedly and clapped her hands together. “Okay! A private dinner between us! Definitely! Oh, I’m so excited!” she gushed. Seeing her so happy made Luffy happy.

 _I think I finally get that stupid analogy,_ he thought with a snicker. With the promise of food on the horizon, he hopped up and exited with Hancock out of the cave, pulling her back through the jungle.

 This time, he made a point to hold her hand.


	23. Goodnight

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Characters: Zuko and Katara

This prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tunblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Please check them out!

“Well. This sucks,” Zuko summarized eloquently as he and the rest of the Avatar's party stood outside the abandoned shack that would be their home for the night. Since they had entered Zuko's ancestral home, the Fire Nation, they had been flitting from one desolate area to the next, sleeping in dank caves and run-down abodes to prevent the soldiers from taking notice of their presence. This pathetic cabin was probably the worst one yet; it had become overgrown with weeds and vines, reclaimed by the nearby forest. It must have been abandoned for decades, because a tall, leafy tree grew right through the middle, bursting through the roof and spreading its branches over the pitiful structure. Still, they did not have the luxury of finding another locale to stay, as the sky had already grown dark around them and the air cold.

Aang, of course, was beaming broadly.

“Look at that tree, you guys! I think it's great,” the hopelessly optimistic boy announced before scuttling over to his oversized, fluffy bison. “Sorry, buddy. You’ll have to sleep outside. Look, there's a nice big tree over there that should be good,” the airbender told the animal as he rubbed its snout affectionately. The bison roared in response, and Zuko scowled and waved a hand in front of his face, able to smell the beast's abominable breath even from several yards away. The air bison rose and shook its shaggy bulk before lumbering over to the aforementioned tree, a centuries-old sentinel not far off. It was so huge that _its_ branches competed with the little tree rising out of the shack, blotting out the starry sky with its massive leaves.

“Appreciating nature?” came a quip over Zuko's shoulder, and he glanced back to see Sokka smirking at him.

“I was just looking,” Zuko huffed and turned on his heel to stomp over to his things. Sokka was pretty impressive, for a non-bender, and probably the one he got along with best aside from Aang, but the pathetic state of their temporary home was enough to put him in a foul mood- and that meant that he was _not_ going to suffer whatever joke or jibe that was about to come out of Sokka's mouth. Sighing as he resigned himself to the dismal situation, the scorned prince hefted his bag onto his shoulder and proceeded to the cabin. He pushed the door open, and it creaked loudly in protest before promptly falling right off its hinges. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he groaned.

“Better than sleeping outside,” Katara shrugged as she shouldered past him, her head held high. He blushed slightly as her arm rubbed against his, but she seemed not to take notice. Though she cared little for him, he liked Katara a lot. She was determined and proud- sometimes a little too much- and capable. Plus, she was pretty. He watched her as she marched across the dusty wooden floor and primly arranged her sleeping bag on the floor, appreciating the way her body moved and her hair flowed. He must have been staring for quite a while, because he received a rough shove from behind.

“Move it!” Toph cried as she plowed her foot into his back, leaving an impression of her foot in dust on the back of his shirt. As he attempted to brush it off, glaring at the blind girl, she just shuffled past him and spread her blankets on the floor before promptly flopping face-down into them. Still, it was enough to pull him out of his stupor, and he realized that everyone had pretty much settled into the building aside from him. He walked over to the only open spot left, and glanced up at the roof to find it completely open to the sky. _If it rains, I’m pretty much screwed,_ he thought with distaste. His friends realized the predicament he was in, too.

“Hey, Zuko! You can come squeeze in over here!” Aang offered and patted the spot between him and Katara. There was barely enough room to fit a runt his size, let alone someone of Zuko's build; thankfully, Katara did not voice her displeasure, but sniffed and rolled over to curl up into the blankets. Still, the idea of being in such close quarters with the girl made him blush, and he shook his head in denial.

“No. I’m fine,” he huffed and situated himself into the little spot on the floor. He laid back, exhaling deeply as he rested his hands behind his head and glanced up through the hole in the roof. It _was_ at least nice to be able to see the stars above, sparkling in the landscape of inky blackness, and that was enough to put him at ease. His companions settled into sleep around him, softly snoring, and Zuko stared up at the sky above, alone with his thoughts. He normally was the last one to fall asleep. Perhaps it was just his nature now; he was so guarded that he automatically listened for barely detectable footsteps approaching to ambush them, or the familiar rushing roar of firebending. It was strange. He has spent so long hunting the same individuals he now traveled with, intent to destroy them, and yet now he had no desire but to protect them.

Zuko wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he awoke with a start to the wail of the wind and booming thunder. He jerked up to realize that his clothes were soaking wet as rain poured in thick sheets from the hole in the roof above him. He hastily scrambled away, pressing himself to the wall where a thin section of roof could still protect him from most of the rain, but whenever the wind blew it would spray him with the cold droplets. Shivering slightly, he wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. The cabin illuminated as bright lightning flashed overhead, spilling blinding white light into the little house, but his friends were still fast asleep, unaware of the disturbance. Zuko cursed his rotten luck, shuddering, and contemplated the measure of his pride. Then, very quietly, he stood up and snuck along the wall to where Aang and Katara lay sleeping. He stood over them, longingly eyeing the small square of space there. He would rather cram in anywhere else, with Toph or Sokka even, but the two left no space between them as they lay spread-eagled, their arms and legs kicked out of their blankets. Zuko jerked as he softly sneezed, and that was enough to force him to wriggle his way between the two. Aang muttered something about cabbages and rolled over, snickering in his sleep, and Zuko stared hard at Katara with his heart in his throat, praying she would not wake.

She didn't; she just slept peacefully on, and he relaxed slightly. He gazed at her as she slept, admiring the way her soft brown hair fell over her face and her side rose and fell. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, and then froze as she suddenly mumbled and shifted.

 _Did I wake her?_ He thought in panic and prepared to jump up lest she wake up and yell at him, but he breathed a small sigh of relief when she just curled up tighter into the blankets. He was about to just call it and attempt to fall back asleep again when she abruptly spoke.

“Zuko…” she murmured, and his eyes widened as he stared open-mouthed. She was still dead asleep, with no idea that he was laying there, but yet she had whispered his name. He didn’t know what it meant. She was probably just dreaming about pummeling him in some sort of scenario or another; still, it made him happy.

“Goodnight, Katara,” he smiled as he gently pulled the blanket up to her shoulder, and then he curled up, even deigning to scoot a little closer to her. His clothes were drenched and cold, but for some reason, he felt warm.

“ _Zuko!”_

The prince jerked at the severity of the voice calling his name, and when he did, it felt like a dagger pierced his head. Groaning, he rolled onto his back and cradled his pounding head, squinting as he struggled to adjust to the bright light of the morning. His vision focused to allow him to discern Katara standing over him, red-faced with her hands on her hips. “What are you doing? I thought you were sleeping _over there,”_ she huffed and pointed at the little section where he was laying before. The wood was still soaked with rainwater, but the girl was probably so flustered she hadn't even considered it.

“It rained,” he groaned and moved to sit up, and then hissed when his head flared with fiery pain once more. He flopped back, his entire body feeling heavy and sore, like he had been crushed by a massive boulder. _What's wrong with me?_ He thought weakly, rolling onto his side and groaning again. Everything hurt, and as he pulled a hand back he noticed that he was shaking violently. Katara, taking notice of his obvious distress, gasped and crouched down next to him. Her hand felt cool as she pressed it to his forehead, sliding it under his messy black hair that was drenched with sweat.

“You’re burning up with fever. Sokka! Sokka, get up! Give me that blanket!” she screeched as she unceremoniously yanked her brother out of his bed by his foot to retrieve the blanket he was sleeping on. He cried out and blurted some nonsense before sitting up, his hair falling over his face.

“Katara! Not cool!” he whined, but his sister was shuffling back across the cabin, sitting on her knees beside Zuko to wrap him in the blanket. As it brushed against his skin, it irritated him, feeling like a thousand needles were pricking him, and he moaned and threw them off, rolling on his other side.

“Zuko! You need to stay warm,” Katara insisted and wrapped him in the blanket once more, and he was too weak to try and fight her off. Shivering so hard that his teeth chattered, he curled up in the blanket, gripping it tightly in his hands as he squirmed in discomfort. He didn’t even care about his pride, how weak he must have looked; he was just in agony, and it was all that he could think about. He cried out and clutched his head as the sound of rapid footsteps on the wooden floor felt like someone was beating his head with a hammer.

“Stop… That noise…” he groaned, his voice low.

“Cut it out!” Katara hissed at Aang, who had come to see what the commotion was about. He leaned down over the sick firebender, his big blue eyes even bigger and wider. “It rained last night. Zuko must have gotten sick because he slept in wet clothes!” Katara explained as she took a strip of fabric and poured some of the water she carried around onto it. She set it on his forehead, gently, and he exhaled sharply as the cool water seemed to chase away some of the pain.

“Oh, man. We can't leave until he gets better,” Aang frowned deeply.

“He's very sick. He needs medicine,” Katara sighed as she kneeled beside him. He couldn’t help but smile slightly at the worried expression on her face. _She cares._

“There's a town near here. I’ll take Appa and see if I can get some,” the Avatar nodded and ran out of the cabin, grabbing Sokka by the back of the shirt on his way. “Come on, Sokka!” The young man cried out in alarm and clutched at his throat as his shirt was wrenched back, and he squirmed and voiced protests as he was dragged out of the cabin by the airbender. Zuko heard the rush of air as Appa took off into the sky, and suddenly, it was quiet. It unnerved him, making him think only about how much pain he was in, and he pressed a hand to the floor to try to sit up. “No! You’re sick and you need to rest,” Katara insisted as she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to lay on his back on the floor. Panting, he stared up at her with lidded eyes.

“Katara?” he asked weakly. He was thinking clearly now, or maybe he wasn’t.

“Yes?” she asked wearily, and he frowned. She sounded like she was tired of him.

“Do you hate me?” he whispered. Of everyone in the group, he wanted her acceptance most of all. He thought they had come to an understanding when he had helped her hunt down the man who had murdered her mother, but she still treated him coldly sometimes, and he wasn’t sure if that had been enough. He gritted his teeth slightly as he forced his hand out of the blanket to reach out and grasp hers, and part of him was afraid she would recoil. She didn't, just looked down at their clasped hands with a complicated expression. She looked back at him, and she was smiling slightly.

“No, Zuko. I don’t hate you,” she answered, but he wasn’t sure if she was just telling him that just to make him feel better.

“Really?” he pressed, and his eyes widened slightly as she suddenly leaned forward, drawing her face close. His heart began pounding, but all he could do was stare as she leaned down over him and gently pressed her lips to his. It felt nice, _really_ nice, but all Zuko had the strength to do was close his eyes and move his lips gently with her own. He was sad when she pulled back, and her chestnut hair fell over his face as she smirked down at him.

“Really,” she laughed as she tucked the strands of hair behind her ear. She reached down, gently sweeping away the hair slicked to his face with sweat.

“You'll catch my cold,” he responded by dumbly, but he couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his lips. His head flopped back against the wooden floor as he felt his head swimming, and Katara's form began to shift in and out of focus. She continued running her fingers through his dark hair, and it reassured him as his mind swayed under the assault of the fever. _Katara… Doesn’t hate me…_ he thought in relief as his eyes began drifting shut.

“Goodnight, Zuko.”


	24. Colors

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Shikamaru Nara and Temari

This prompt was taken from the prompt blog on Tumblr, hellsdemonictrinity! Please go check them out!

Shikamaru waited impatiently outside the train station, his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets as he shuffled from foot to foot, trying to move as much as possible to keep warm. It was a Saturday night deep in the autumn season, and therefore notably cold. He shuddered as a cold wind swept across the sidewalk, chilling the twenty-something to his bones. _Man. What a drag. I really should invest in a car,_ he thought bitterly as he pulled his hood tightly around his face to stave off the relentless wind. He glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the train station, searching for that familiar blonde hair tied in four sections.

Shikamaru was waiting on his girlfriend, Temari.

The two had been dating casually for quite a few weeks now. He had been introduced to the young woman by a friend of a friend who happened to be her younger brother at a party, and somehow the pair had hit it off. Shikamaru wasn’t really interested in girls- dating was a hassle he had never been crazy about committing to- but he had to admit that he enjoyed spending time with the feisty girl. She was determined and restless, a polar opposite of the laid-back and arguably lazy individual that he was. _I guess there is some merit to the phrase “opposites attract,”_ he thought wryly as he pondered the strange notion. He perked up as a fresh wave of people came streaming out of the train station, and he could not help but smile as he caught sight of the girl he was looking for.

“Hey! Temari!” he called to the girl as she paused at the top of the steps to search for him, and as he waved his arm and shouted at her, she turned to glance down at him. He couldn’t help but be transfixed when she turned her clear blue eyes on him. Temari was a beautiful girl, but he loved her eyes the best; beautiful blue with long lashes that swam with intelligence. As she hopped down the steps toward him, he became aware that he was staring open-mouthed, and hurriedly shut his mouth before the willful girl could make fun of him.

“Hey!” she greeted him breathlessly, her breath fogging up as she stopped in front of him. “Have you been waiting long?” Shikamaru had been waiting a little while, but that was on account of his insistence to be early due to some subconscious excitement, and he wasn’t going to admit _that._ As such, he shook his head with a slight blush. _Hopefully she'll just think it's the cold,_ he thought with an inward groan. “Shall we, then?” Temari asked him, and Shikamaru nodded and they walked together down the rest of the steps and set off down the sidewalk. The sun was in the middle of setting, casting the world in a golden glow as the fiery ball blazed in the colored sky. Shikamaru glanced out of the corner of his eyes, appreciated the way Temari's golden hair shone in the brilliance of the sunset; when her eyes flickered to meet his, he blushed and hastily pulled his gaze away. He mumbled under his breath as he heard her giggling, knowing he had been caught. _What a drag. She makes me look so uncool._ “So? Are you going to keep me in suspense or are you going to tell me what we're doing?” Temari asked him abruptly.

“Come on, don't you like surprises?” he smirked at her, turning to glance down at her with dark eyes sparkling in amusement. Shikamaru had taken Temari ouf a few times, the usual things- movies, simple dinners, things like that. This time, however, he was pulling out the stops. Since she lived in the next town over, she probably had no idea that during that night in particular, the city in which Shikamaru lived was hosting a fair, complete with a fireworks show. Shikamaru had jumped on the opportunity, and he just hoped that the girl didn’t make fun of him for being cheesy.

Come to think of it, Shikamaru was always concerned that Temari was going to make fun of him.

“You’re just going to have to wait until we get there,” he insisted as she pouted up at him, and she turned her face away with a sniff. _Sorry,_ he thought teasingly, and they continued onward.

After the sun sunk below the horizon, leaving only an inky black sky dotted with sparkling stars, the temperature dropped even further. As Temari brushed against him, he looked down at her in slight shock when he realized she was shivering considerably, so much that her teeth chattered every once and a while. Though she was wearing long sleeves, the fabric was considerably thin. _Guess I should do the “gentlemanly” thing,_ he thought with a small sigh as he stopped on the sidewalk and began wriggling out of his hoodie.

“What are you doing?” Temari blinked as she stopped and turned to face him, and then cried out as he unceremoniously tossed the hoodie into her face. She caught it and looked at him with slight confusion.

“Well? Put it on,” he told her with a slight sniff.

“What about you?” she asked, hesitating.

“I’ll be all right,” he told her, but immediately cursed his endeavor to be chivalrous. _Damn, it's cold,_ he thought as he suppressed the urge to shudder. Temari blinked at him before obediently slipping into the hoodie, and Shikamaru couldn’t help but feel glad when her head popped through the top with a smile of her face. The hoodie was much too big for her, as it was very baggy and the sleeves hung over her hands. _She looks cute,_ he thought, but he kept the comment to himself. He felt like if he told her she was cute it wouldn’t be appreciated. He watched her with a strange, fuzzy feeling as she snuggled into his hoodie. “Better?”

“Better,” she confirmed with a small smile. Shikamaru decided he would brave the cold to see that smile on her face. Then, he did something brazen- he reached down and grabbed her hand to begin leading her back down the sidewalk. His heart was pounding, and he cursed his own lunacy, but thankfully Temari did not object. Maybe it was his imagination, but he felt like her fingers curled slightly around his.

As they approached the fairgrounds, carnival music danced on the air, and even from a distance they could see the various amusement park rides and buildings lit up with strings of bright, colorful, flickering lights. The smells of various foods mingled into one delectable fragrance that made Shikamaru's mouth water. “This is where we're going? A fair?” Temari asked, and he was relieved that her tone was not disappointed, but genuinely curious. He nodded in affirmation, and her face lit up in mild excitement. _So far, so good,_ he thought as he steered her into the ticket booth. Once they purchased their tickets, they wandered into the fairgrounds.

A sizable crowd had already gathered, and the air buzzed with the hum of conversation and the occasional screams echoing down from the towering roller coasters scattered throughout the park. As the crowd thickened around them, Temari and Shikamaru were forced to press close together; as her side brushed against his, he felt his heartbeat quicken and it felt like a jolt of electricity rocketed through him.

“Um… What do you want to do first?” he asked awkwardly as she looked up at him, trying to hide his embarrassment. Temari glanced around the fairgrounds, searching for a source of amusement, and then pointed at one of the attractions. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. She had indicated a popular attraction, a thrill ride that was constructed like a slingshot. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Are you _scared_?” Temari teased him, sticking out her tongue at him playfully. His face flushed slightly at the accusation.

“Of course not!” he huffed and tightened his grip on her hand to pull her in the direction of the thrill ride. The line was quite long, but not terribly so, and within fifteen minutes they were being strapped into the roller coaster, flat on their backs staring up at the black sky above them. _I can't believe she roped me into this,_ he thought with a small groan as he stared up into the sky. He turned slightly to see that Temari's blue eyes had gone wide, but he was not sure if it was from exhilaration or fear.

Abruptly, Shikamaru's body jerked violently as the ride lurched into action, and the wind roared in his ears as they shot forward into the sky. Despite his effort to keep his composure, he let out a scream, but he felt better about it because Temari started screeching as well. As they started falling, Shikamaru began to feel the adrenaline rushing through him, and he began laughing. He looked over at Temari, whose eyes were squeezed shut as she squealed half in delight and half in terror. He gasped as her hand suddenly shot out to clutch his tightly, and he was dumbfounded at the notion that she would seek him out for comfort. The moment was pretty much ruined for him, though, when her head suddenly jerked and he got a mouthful of one of her ponytails. Even as they were walking off the ride, he was still spitting out several of the blonde locks.

“That was so much fun!” she laughed as she swept her bangs out of her face, her face flushed with adrenaline.

“Yeah. Good choice,” Shikamaru chuckled. _She's still holding my hand,_ he thought giddily.

They went about the fair for several hours, partaking in the various rides and stuffing their faces with the selection of foods the carnival had to offer. Soon, there was nothing else left to do except for the cheesiest thing to do on a date to a fair.

“The Ferris wheel?” Temari laughed as he guided her up to the famous- or infamous- ride.

“Got a problem with that?” he smirked down at her, and she laughed again before shaking her head. They climbed into the carriage and the attendant snapped the door shut, and up they went. Shikamaru leaned his face in his cheek as he gazed out of the window, watching as the fairgrounds gradually grew smaller as they climbed higher and higher into the night sky. Temari was sitting across from him on the small bench that served as a seat, and he was acutely aware of her gaze drifting towards him every once in a while. They both gasped as the Ferris wheel jerked to a stop, nearly at the highest point of the slow ride. _Tonight just gets cheerier and cheerier,_ he thought. His eyebrows raised as the sky abruptly exploded with light.

“Fireworks!” Temari exclaimed. Shikamaru had quite lost track of the time, and as he glanced down at his phone, he realized that it was indeed the scheduled time of the fireworks show. He blushed as Temari beamed at him. “You planned this? Sly,” she complimented him with a smirk, and he blushed brightly. _Somebody is looking out for me,_ he thought with a slight smirk. He had accidentally impressed the girl by some dumb luck. Temari returned her gaze to the brilliantly illuminated night sky, but Shikamaru could not take his eyes off her.

Her blue eyes danced with a thousand different colors, blazing rainbows that left him spellbound. Her hair shone, too, the golden strands turned white by the glaring lights of the fairgrounds and occasionally flashing with the colors of the fireworks overhead. His eyes fell to her mouth, partly open as she watched in wonder, and he couldn’t help but noticed how full her lips looked. His body moved on its own as he slowly rose to his feet and crossed the short distance of the Ferris wheel carriage. “Hey, what are you doing?” Temari asked him as she felt the small hanging basket moving, but he didn’t answer; instead, as she looked up at him were her eyebrows slightly knitted, he cupped her face in his hands, leaning down to kiss her. She straightened up slightly in shock, but did not pull away. Rather, she melted under the kiss, reaching up with one of her hands to gently hold his wrist as her eyes drifted closed. As the fireworks exploded outside, casting the young couple in a menagerie of lights, Shikamaru couldn’t hear them over the sound of his heart singing.

He pulled back after a minute, breathless, and even through the glaring light and dancing colors he could see the bright red tint of Temari's cheeks. “That was a bold move,” she said quietly. He couldn’t help smirking. He was _quite_ pleased with himself. As some sort of instant karma, the Ferris wheel abruptly lurched into motion, causing him to lose his balance and land on his behind on the floor of the carriage. Temari laughed at him, and he just sighed heavily. _Man. It seems like I just can't look cool in front of her,_ he thought with a small chuckle. He blushed as Temari abruptly leaned down over him and pressed her lips to his. It was shorter than the first kiss, but it still left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

“ _That_ was a bold move,” he teased, and she smiled playfully at him in response. When the carriage finally came to a stop, he pulled himself to his feet and looked at Temari with a smirk. “Shall we?” he asked and offered his arm. She smiled slyly and stood up, sliding her slim arms around his. Trying to seem like he was not perturbed as he walked her back out into the carnival, but the entire time his heart was pounding.

Shortly after the fireworks show ended, the fairgrounds closed for the night, and so Shikamaru escorted Temari back to the train station. Hands in his jeans pockets, he waited with her until her train arrived. When the large metal vehicle shot into the station and screeched to a halt, Temari slid his arms out of his, and he felt a little sad as her warmth faded from his body. As the rest of the patrons piled onto the train, she turned to look at him with a smile.

“I had a nice time tonight,” she remarked to him, swaying slightly back and forth as she smiled shyly at him.

“I’m glad,” he told her, genuinely happy. She walked forward, standing on her tip-toes to softly kiss him again, and he closed his eyes as her lips lingered against his own, running his hands up her arms. As he pulled back, he tightened his grip on her, attempting to make her stay, but she turned her face away with an amused laugh.

“I have to _go,_ Shikamaru,” she chuckled. As she gazed into her blue, blue eyes, he could almost see the colors of the fireworks dancing in their depths. _She has such beautiful eyes,_ he thought wistfully as he obediently released her. She hurried to the train as the warning that the doors were closing announced over the loudspeakers.

“Hey!” he shouted after her. “Next time, I want my hoodie back!” he called smugly as she turned to glance back at him, and her mouth curled into a small smile.

“Too bad! It's mine!” she called as she stuck her tongue out at him, right as the train doors closed and the large vehicle jerked into action. Shikamaru watched in bemusement as she disappeared from sight, and then he turned on his heel to walk out into the cold night. He rubbed his arms with a sigh, looking up at the now quite, bland black sky.

“Jeez… Guess I need a new hoodie,” he chuckled to himself as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and set off for home, the girl with the beautiful eyes and golden hair dominating his mind…


	25. Home

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki

Minato trudged down the worn dirt road, his sandals dragging in the mud as he sloshed through the rainy roadways. Around him, the rain whirled in thick sheets, drenching the exhausted ninja and chilling him to his very bones. The sky above him was stormy and grey, filled with thunderclouds that burst with occasional strikes of lightning, jagged white lines that snaked through the heavens and illuminated the weary ninja slowly walking through the village of Konoha. It was the early hours of the morning, and he was alone as he made his way home, his only companion his shadow bobbing along in the mute lighting of the crackling electricity above. With a small sigh, he flicked his bangs out of his face, pausing to turn his face up to the roiling heavens above.

 _How long has it been?_ He thought as his blue eyes gazed at the grayness above. _Six months? Seven?_ He wasn’t sure. He had been gone a long time, that was for sure. That was the life of a Jonin- to be sent away at the drop of a hat, away on missions for months on end. Minato had spent many nights in the pouring rain, but as he stood there in the streets he knew so well, he felt like years of weariness and toil were being washed away, carried away by the thick streams of water washing across the earth. _It doesn’t matter. I’m home,_ he thought with a small smile, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of the rain streaming down his face in soft, cold rivulets. _I’m **home.**_

With a grunt, he adjusted his rain-sodden pack on his shoulder and continued stomping through the mud, his head down as he continued down the road. He didn’t even have to think about it as he marched on; his feet carried them on their own, straight on, then a left, and a right, and another right, to the house in the heart of the village that he knew so well. He climbed the steps, his dirty shoes tracking mud over the metal stairway as he came to the second story. As he stopped in front of the door, panting slightly from the long, lonely walk through the wind and rain, he reached for the doorknob. As his hand met the cold, cold metal, he hesitated.

 _Seven. It's definitely been seven months,_ he concluded. How much had changed since then? The village hadn’t changed much, it seemed. The same trees, their leaves shaking in the storm winds and flashing their greenness with every burst of lightning. The same streets, made of the orange-brown dirt that swelled with water with every storm. The same shops, the pub on the main road where he drank sake with Jiraiya, the old ramen shop with the friendly old man that treated Minato too well, Yamanaka Flowers, where Inoichi's wife sold beautiful flowers, the bookstore on the corner that Kushina loved to frequent.

_Kushina._

Was she beyond the door? Kushina was a ninja, too, but the life was hard on women. It was hard for them to be separated from their beloved for so long. Part of Minato feared that if had become too much for her, and in his long absence, she had moved on.

 _No. Not my Kushina,_ he thought with a frown and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open quietly. It creaked slightly in protest as he stepped inside, making a puddle on the doormat as the rainwater streamed dripped profusely from his soaking wet clothes, skin, and hair. He blinked in the gloom, attempting to decipher what his eyes were seeing. He shut the door behind him as he glanced around. The house looked the same, at least. Grunting as he stretched his sore muscles, he leaned down to pull his muddy boots off his feet, leaving them beside the door. He froze, fingers twitching. _Those are Kushina's shoes,_ he thought with a tiny smile. He had been afraid for nothing.

Quietly so as not to wake his likely sleeping wife, he padded softly through the house, leaving wet footprints in his wake as he crossed to the back of the house. He found the door to the bedroom slightly ajar, and it made not a sound as he gently pushed it open to peer inside. His heart stopped.

 _Kushina. My Kushina,_ he thought as every breath left his body. She was lying on her back in the bed, her face turned toward him. Even in the dark, he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed softly. Moonlight streamed in through the window, making her that red hair that blazed like fire shine with heavenly light. Without thinking, Minato crossed the room, leaving a trail of water across the wooden floor as he took a strand of that gorgeous hair and held it to his lips, kissing it softly. The scent wafted up into his nose. _She smells like sunshine,_ he thought. Minato was pretty sure that sunshine didn’t have a scent, but that is what he always thought.

He frowned when those soft strands fell limp in his fingers, drenched with water. It was then that he realized how utterly soaked he was, and he dropped Kushina's hair to pull back. He was cold, too, shivering slightly. Or was it simply that he was so overcome with emotion to see her? He wasn’t quite sure. Still, he knew he would catch cold in this state, so he snuck out of the room to slip down the hall into the bathroom. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, as the sparse moonlight was enough. He set his sodden pack down on the sink and sighed deeply, pulling off his vest and shirt and glancing up at himself in the mirror.

Reflected in the glass, Minato was shining silver, too, his blonde hair stark white in the shining light. He could see the various scars across his body so clearly in the soft moonlight. Several of them were new, earned on his latest venture. Some of them weren’t even scars at all, but wounds that were still healing, red gashes against his pale white skin. That was the life he chose, and these were his badges of honor.

With a heavy sigh, Minato grabbed a towel off the towel rack and stuffed his face in it. _It's been so long since I’ve smelled clean linen,_ he thought dryly as he paused to breathe in the scent of fresh laundry detergent. He lifted his face, looking back up in the mirror, and was shocked to see a bloom of red in the silver and white canvas reflection.

“Minato?” Kushina asked quietly. Her green eyes were silver pools as they gazed wide at him, staring at him through the reflection of the smooth glass. His mouth softened into a smile as soon as his eyes landed on her. _Kushina…_ He tore his gazed away from the mirror, turning around to look at her. She was even more beautiful in person. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, her frame outline by pure light; standing there, she looked nothing short of a radiant goddess, come down from heaven to bless the undeserving man. All he could do was stare, muted by the emotion rising inside of him. Kushina closed the distance between them, her small hands reaching up to pull the towel from him and begin dabbing at his water-covered chest and arms. “You reckless man, walking through a storm like that. You’ll catch cold, you know,” she tutted, shaking her head.

“Hmm. Can't help it decided to rain,” he smirked down at her. It felt nice, the fluffy cotton gently running over his cold skin as she softly soaked up the water. She wasn’t looking at him, so absorbed in her work, but Minato's eyes were captivated by her. He had thought about her so much while he was away; she had been his anchor, his lifeline, the only thing to get him through the long, cold nights fraught with danger. So many times he had been close to death, but it was she who spurred him on. Knowing that she was here, waiting for him, was the one thing that kept him going. With her lips slightly pursed, she raised her arms to drop the towel into his golden hair, ruffling it slightly as she dries his signature locks. Finally, her eyes met his, and she stopped moving. Blue eyes gazed into green ones, and so many words unspoken passed between. Minato reached up to pull her hands down, bringing her fingers to his mouth to kiss them. How he had missed those slim, perfect fingers.

“You’re home,” she whispered, and as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, he let one of her hands go to brush them away with his thumb.

“I’m home,” he confirmed softly. Like they were pulled together by magnets, their faces drew close, and their eyes drifted shut as their lips met. She tasted even sweeter than he remembered. His hand rose to her cheek, angling his head as he kissed her slowly, lovingly. _Kushina. My sunshine,_ he thought happily as his hand traveled to the back of her head, and he tangled his fingers into that fiery red hair that blazed brighter than the sun. She rested her hands against his bare chest, her fingers running over the scars there. When he pulled back, she was smiling happily.

“I missed you,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him in hug, laying her head against his chest. Minato held her tightly as he propped his chin on the top of her head.

“I missed you too,” he murmured as he smiled into her hair. _Sunshine,_ he thought again as he breathed in deeply.

_I’m home…_


	26. My Knight in Shining Armor

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami frowned slightly as she stood this way and that in front of her body-length mirror, her lips pursed as her gaze drifted across her body. After giving herself a thorough check-over, she determined that somehow she had escaped the craziness on Punk Hazard completely unscathed, which was an uncommon occurrence. Nami had a tough personality, but she was not naïve enough to think that her body was caught up with the program; she was dainty compared to the tough men she traveled with, and though she certainly did not straddle the doorway to death as they did, she still found herself in several scuffles on a regular basis and ended up beat up frequently. _This time I don’t even have a scratch!_ She thought with a mildly awed expression. _I guess I have Sanji to thank for that._

Normally she did have the suave, lascivious cook to thank for saving her behind, but in this case it was quite more literal. On the bizarre island filled with even more bizarre individuals, Nami and Sanji had fallen victim to a strange body-swapping occurrence. As her mind recalled the odd feeling of being inside his body, acutely aware of how sturdy his body felt and his muscles flexing as she moved, she went pink.

“Stop that! It's indecent!” she scolded herself aloud and slapped her cheeks, leaving them an even darker shade of pink. Pushing the maddeningly attractive man to the back of her mind, she huffed and hastily strode out of her bedroom to investigate what the rest of the crew was up to. As she walked over to the banister of the upper deck and leaned over to gaze out onto the main deck, she saw that the crew was up to their usual antics despite having been through a rough fight not hours ago. Luffy was sitting on a barrel, perched on a barrel and loudly demanding food from a very irritated Sanji, who was smoking a cigarette and barking rebuked at the immature captain. Usopp had a fishing pole and had a line cast in the water, and little Chopper was standing  Hind him bouncing up and down with mixed feelings of excitement and concern. Robin was lounging in a chair, deeply absorbed in one of the dusty tomes she kept within reach, while Brooke was at the front of the boat humming as he stared out at the sea; Franky was sitting down beside Zoro, who was fast asleep as usual. It was a welcome site to see everything back to normal after a harrowing experience. Well, mostly back to normal.

During their jaunt to Punk Hazard, the Straw Hats had somehow managed to pick up a trio of unlikely guests. Two were from the samurai island of Wano- the feisty samurai Kin'emon and his small son Momonosuke, whom they had rescued on Punk Hazard. The other was someone they had already met, the young pirate captain Trafalgar Law. Foul-mouthed and gruff, he was an enemy-turned-ally that Luffy was oddly fond of and had already given him the label of “friend"- though Law was not happy to oblige. The samurai man and his son were readily sparring on the deck, while Law was sitting with his sword propped against his shoulder as he half-listened to Luffy whine. He didn’t appreciate it when the Straw Hat captain attempted to drag him into the conversation.

“Everything is as it should be,” Nami laughed quietly as she observed the scene before she turned on her heel and walked to her work room to prepare their next route. Law had said something about Dressrosa kingdom, while Momonosuke and his father were intent on returning to Wano; the navigator had to figure out the best way to accomplish both tasks in the shortest amount of time, and thus planning would be necessary. She sat down in front of her navigational charts to ponder the course of action, and before she knew it time was rapidly wasting away, until she glanced out her small window to find that the ocean was dyed gold with the setting sun. She then suddenly realized how stiff she was, and rose from the chair to stretch her arms above her head. “Ahh, much better,” she sighed before walking over to the window. _What a pretty sunset,_ she thought with a small smile. She decided to wander back outside to get a better look at it, promptly leaving the room and walking over to the balustrade of the boat and leaning against the finished wood as she gazed out at the open sea. A smile naturally found its way onto her lips.

 _It's beautiful…_ The sun was a semicircle of blazing yellow light, turning the once-blue sky a canvas of golden and red light, with the darkness of the night sky rapidly descending like a great curtain as the sun sunk below the horizon. The calm sea reflected the golden light spilling forth, and glittered as waves gently shifted back and forth. Nami rested her arms on the sturdy wood and set her head on top, gazing out at the sea. Though she had been through countless perils with the rowdy pirate crew, she found the never had she regretted the decision to follow Luffy on his quest to become King of the Pirates. Sunsets on the water put those on land to shame, and as long as she was a pirate, she could see them anytime she wished. _I can't think of a better life,_ she thought wistfully.

“Oh! Nami! I was wondering if you had fallen asleep in there,” called a teasing voice, and the tangerine-haired girl glanced over her shoulder to see Sanji sauntering over to her with a cigarette banging from his mouth and a smirk playing over his lips. As soon as her eyes fell on it, she blushed, immediately recalling her inappropriate thoughts earlier that day. _Oh, crap,_ she thought and hastily turned her face back to the setting sun, hoping the glow of the fading light would mask her blush.

“I’ve been busy planning our next move. I came out to watch the sunset,” she explained simply. She hoped her nonchalance would keep him from taking too close a look at her.

“You do girly things like that?” he asked her with a small laugh, making her temper flare.

“What's wrong with appreciating the sunset?” she snapped hotly and whipped around to face him, bristling like an enraged cat. He just seemed to find the outburst amusing, laughing heartily before glancing out at the water. He smiled as the sun continued to drift below the horizon.

“Nothing. It is pretty, I suppose,” he relented with a chuckle, and then he glanced back at her. “All you all right, though? I’m afraid I might have overdone it while I was in your body,” he frowned down at her, causing her turn to pink once more and turn away.

“Oh, um… Actually, I seem to be completely unhurt… You did a good job, um, taking care of my body,” she answered awkwardly. _Oh my God, that sounds so wrong,_ she groaned inwardly, but Sanji seemed to overlook her discomfort.

“I’m relieved! I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, Nami~” he beamed brightly.

“What about you? I mean, I- or, you- took that hard hit from Caesar,” she asked in turn, and in response, he grinned stupidly.

“What, me? It would take a lot more than that to hurt me,” he snorted proudly. _Confident, aren't we?_ She thought with a raised eyebrow, then gulped when he turned to her and stood a little closer to her. “But you’re concerned about me, Nami? I’m flattered,” he grinned at her, and that dazzling smile of her sent her heart beating rapidly in her chance. _Damn him,_ she thought in mortification and hastily scooched away.

“D-Don't read too much into it! Of course I get concerned when all you loonies go around getting beat up all the time! Normal people would be dead after all the things you guys put yourself through!” she huffed and crossed her arms, turning her face away. She blinked when Sanji did not respond with another teasing remark, just silence, and in confusion she glanced back over her shoulder to see him gazing at her with a somewhat sad look. “What's that look for?”

“I just… I never stopped to think about it. How much stronger Luffy and Zoro and I are, and how reckless we can be… We really do end up dragging you into some dangerous situations,” he answered sadly, and suddenly Nami felt guilty for her thoughtless comment.

“No,” she interrupted before he could go on. “I mean, you do, but… You know, I _want_ to get dragged into those kinds of situations. I mean, of course I don’t, but- ugh, how do I explain this?” she muttered in frustration as she struggled to put the odd feeling into words. “What I’m trying to say is, just because I end up in danger doesn’t mean I resent it. Even though we go through some pretty dangerous things and rough times, I still don't regret them. It's an adventure, you know? And I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she explained after a moment of pondering. She looked back up at Sanji, whose sad expression had turned blank. _Did I make it worse?_ She wondered in mild fear, but then was relieved as he smiled softly at her.

“You know, Nami, you act all tough, but on the inside, you really are just a girl,” he mused, and though it seemed he was trying to make a compliment, Nami just stamped her foot in frustration.

“’Just a girl’? I give you my heartfelt feelings and that's what you say? Jeez, Sanji, and I thought you were good with women!” she cried before shoving him roughly away and stomping up the stairs toward her work room. She could hear Sanji babbling behind her attempting to explain herself, but she was too busy trying to keep up the mad act to listen. Really, she wasn’t angry; somehow, she liked the idea that Sanji thought of her as a girl. Perhaps it was just that shameless side of her. Smiling to herself, she stalked into her work room, but allowed Sanji to muscle his way in after her.

“Come on, Nami, you know I didn’t mean it like that!” he whined as he stood against the back wall while she sat at her desk and pretended to pore over her collection of maps and ocean current charts. “Namiiiiii,” he whined pathetically, and she rolled her eyes at how childish he sounded. _I’ll tease him a little longer,_ she thought in amusement and wrote some fake notes down. Suddenly, she froze as she felt Sanji's sturdy arms wrapped around her, and her face became afire with blushing. “Please, Nami, say you forgive me,” he purred in her ear, and Nami was upset to find that the tables had so suddenly turned. Her pen fell from her hand as it began to shake slightly. _Oh…_ She was so in shock that she was quite unsure what to think, so all she could do was comply in the hope that he would let her go and keep her heart from bursting through her ribcage.

“I-I forgive you,” she stammered quickly, and exhaled deeply as she felt his arms slide out from around her. That small, shameless part of her burned with the urge to pull them back, to stay wrapped in his embrace, but she hurriedly quashed it. She bit down on her lip, attempting to control her blushing before glancing over her shoulder to see that Sanji was grinning like an idiot, and she once again felt annoyed with his endless games. “Proud of yourself, are you?” she snorted. _Only he can make me go so topsy-turvy… One minute he has me all in a tizzy and the next I can't stand him! I can never tell what he's thinking!_ She thought grumpily. “I don't appreciate you teasing me, Sanji,” she huffed.

“I never tease,” he refuted playfully, but she just turned back to her charts with a short. “So, what is our plan?” he inquired.

“Dressrosa Kingdom,” she remarked as she looked down at the map, finally settling on a decision. “I think that is the best course of action. I’m still not really sure what Law wants to accomplish there, by confronting this Warlord. After we'll head to Wano so Kin'emon and Momonosuke can return home. It’s further away, and there are a few islands we have to pass through first. Probably gonna end up in another dangerous situation,” she mused as she leaned back in the chair and regarded the map with a small smile. _That's what I get for following a reckless, foolhardy captain like Luffy,_ she thought in amusement. _Still… I said I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I meant it._

“Hey… Nami?” Sanji suddenly said, and she frowned. There was something strange in his voice. Sanji was normally so confident, but now, he sounded almost… Unsure. She found that suddenly she was afraid to turn around and look at him, scared she would find that sad look on his face again. _I keep saying things that make him feel guilty,_ she thought miserably.

“Yeah? What is it?” she responded hesitantly.

“You’re not gonna look at me?” he asked, and she could hear the frown in his voice. _No. No, because I’m afraid of what I might find and what I might do,_ she thought as she chewed on her lip and shrugged it off as if she was busy. She cried out in alarm as she heard him quickly close the distance between them and grab her chair, lifting it clear off the ground with her in it to spin her around and plop her back down so that she was facing him. Shocked and shamefully impressed with his brute strength, she kept her gaze on her lap as her face burned. Sanji was intent that she look at him, however, and she gasped as his hand slid under her chin and lifted her face up. As soon as their eyes met, she was immediately electrified, unable to do anything but stare up at him with her mouth slightly ajar. He _did_ have that sad look, but there was something else too, something she could not place. “Nami, you know that I’ll always protect you, don't you?” That comment threw her for a loop.

“Wh-what makes you say that all of a sudden?” she squeaked in surprise. It unnerved her, and flattered her, too. The idea of Sanji being her knight in shining armor certainly appealed to that secret side of her heart, the side that she kept hidden even from herself- the side that loved this annoyingly and undeniably handsome and strong man. Still, she had to keep up the innocent act, because part of her was afraid that it was a one-sided affection. Sanji loved women in general, after all, and who was to say that it was just harmless flirting like always? “Y-you're not making sense. What makes you think I need- or want- protection?”

“There you go with that tough act again,” he said teasingly. “Nami, I know you are certainly capable of holding your own, but you and I both know that there are some situations that will come along that you can't. I told you before that I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you were hurt… So, I’ll always be your shield.”

“I don't understand,” Nami responded dumbly. She wasn’t used to this side of Sanji- so serious, looking at her with that unidentifiable flame burning in his eyes. She found once more that her heart was beating faster than it should, and she had a strange afraid-elated feeling in the face of this new development. Was it possible that Sanji felt something for her after all? Why else would he make such a bold declaration? Then again, it was just the kind of chivalrous thing he would say to put Nami at ease and put a flirty remark in. _I’m so confused…_ “Why are you saying this? I already told you that the danger doesn’t bother me.”

“It bothers _me_ , Nami,” he responded quickly. “I know you chose this life and you don't regret it, but the thought that you’re in danger all the time because of all our stupid recklessness…” he sighed and hung his head sadly, confusing her even more. “I don’t like it.”

“You’re not answering my question. Why do you care so much?” she asked before she could stop herself, though she already knew the answer.

“Silly Nami. So smart, but so dumb at the same time,” he mused softly as he looked down at her, sitting in the chair wringing the fabric of her pants with her hands as she anticipating the answer. “Because I love you, of course.”

Sanji said it so often, but this time, she knew that it was more than a passing flirtatious remark. She knew he _meant_ it. She wasn’t sure why, but suddenly a few tears were spilling from her eyes, and she hastily lifted her hands to wipe her wet cheeks.

“I-I'm sorry. I don’t know why,” she stammered with a nervous laugh. She wasn’t sure why that had been her immediate reaction, and she was sure that Sanji didn’t appreciate it, but thankfully he seemed unbothered. He crouched down in front of her, smiling warmly as he took her hands and pulled them away from her face.

“Don't worry, Nami. It's okay to cry when you’re happy,” he chuckled and reached up to finish brushing away the tears. Her lips quivered as she smiled, because she realized that she _was_ happy. _Sanji loves me,_ she thought giddily. She laughed softly as she rested her hands on her lap and smiled down at him, quite unsure of what to do or say. Sanji knew, though. Without missing a beat, his hand rested against her cheek, and she could not help but lean her face against it, admiring the chef's soft hands. _His pride and joy,_ she thought absently, becoming distracted to the fact that his face was moving in close. By the time she noticed, his lips were already on hers, and she immediately melting under the soft kiss. Her mind flew elsewhere, unable to form any cohesive thoughts aside from those concerning the man kissing her- how nice it felt, how handsome he was, things like that. Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the feeling of him, and her heart sung with joy. _My knight in shining armor,_ she thought. _I can live with that…_

“Sanji,” she whispered as he drew back, and her voice was full of longing. That shameless part of her had surfaced and overtaken her, and wanted him to just keep kissing her. He found that _quite_ amusing, and smirked at her. When she regained control of herself, she blushed darkly, causing him to smirk more.

“You’re cute,” he laughed.

“Don’t tease me,” she whined and crossed her arms, the romantic mood killed by his incessant games.

“I never tease,” he repeated playfully, but despite his insistence he reached out and placed his hands on her hips, hoping to further get a rise out of her. “I mean everything I do,” he grinned as she squirmed at his touch, trying to squash the rising feelings inside of her.

“I don’t think this is how a knight is supposed to act,” she snorted, trying to seem unbothered by his hands curled around her middle.

“I don’t think princesses are supposed to go around kissing knights,” he refuted with a snicker, and Nami could not help but smile being referred to as a princess. As the romantic mood between them began to bubble once more, their faces began to gravitate together as if drawn by magnets, but before they could meet the ship suddenly rang with a loud, demanding voice.

“Sanjiiiiiii! Where are youuuuu? I’m _starving!”_ Luffy shouted outside, and they could hear him stomping around the deck as he searched for the ship's cook. “Cook me some food before I kick your ass!” he demanded loudly.

“Curse that rubber man and his bottomless pit,” Sanji muttered under his breath as he stood up and walked over to the door to throw it open. “Shut up! I’ll cook when I’m good and ready, dammit!”

“No! _Nooooooow!”_ Luffy screamed and catapulted himself across the deck to land in front of the door and cling to Sanji's leg. “I’m so hungry!”

“Ugh! Fine! If that what it takes to get you to stop whining!” Sanji groaned and shook his leg in an attempt to dislodge the immature captain. Luffy was not going to let go unless Sanji wandered down to the kitchen, and Nami smiled wistfully as she realized that she and Sanji weren’t going to have any more romantic development for the night. He glanced back at her and gave her a wink, and then mouthed, _“See you later,”_ making her sit up straight and turn pink. “All right, come on, you buffoon,” he sighed and walked out of the room, one leg dragging as Luffy remained resolutely stuck to him. Nami watched him go with a small smile.

 _My knight in shining armor,_ she thought again, a hand rising to her heart.

_I know you’ll protect me, Sanji._

_Always…_


	27. Christmas Morning

Category: Family Fluff/Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Sakura Uchiha, Sarada Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha

Sakura awoke to the shrill screaming of her daughter.

“Mommy! Mommy! It's Christmas!” the little girl shrieked with delight as she threw open the woman's bedroom door and ran over the carpeted flooring to vault her six-year-old body into the queen-sized bed. Squealing loudly, she crawled onto Sakura's stomach and bounced up and down, pushing into her chest as she demanded for her mother to awaken to share in the magic that was Christmas morning. Sakura groaned as she was so unceremoniously ripped from sweet sleep, swatting tiredly at her daughter while she mumbled incomprehensibly. She caught Sarada's short black hair before her hand flopped uselessly down against the comforter. “Mommy! _Wake up!”_ she demanded once more.

“I’m up. I’m up,” Sakura mumbled as she finally rose into consciousness and sat up, sweeping her unruly pink hair behind her ears and smiling sleepily down at her elated daughter. “Shall we video call your Daddy before we start opening presents?” she offered, and Sarada gasped in delight.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll call him! I’ll call him!” she cried as she leaned over the edge of the bed to grab Sakura's smartphone while the young woman yawned and attempted to chase the sleep away. As the dial tone rang, Sarada giggled and snuggled into her mother so that both of their faces were captured in the large phone screen. After a few rings, the video suddenly kicked into life to reveal the face of Sakura's husband, Sasuke, who was a secret agent for the government and was currently deployed halfway across the world guarding some important figure or another. It was similar to being in the military, because he was gone half the year and could never talk much about what he was doing, but Sakura loved him no less. He was doing what made him happy, and so she supported him fully. “Hello, Daddy!” Sarada cried joyfully.

“Hey,” Sasuke smiled warmly as he was greeted with the faces of his daughter and his loving wife. “You’re up bright and early,” he mused with a raised eyebrow. To him, it was early evening.

“Sarada is very ready to open her Christmas presents,” Sakura mused as she wrapped an arm around her small child and nuzzled her affectionately, giving her a few kisses on the cheek. Sarada squealed and wriggled in her grasp, giggling as she begged her mother to stop showering her with affection.

“Daddy! Will you watch me open my presents?” Sarada asked hopefully, her black eyes sparkling behind small red-rimmed glasses. Sasuke pretended to think about it, but the smile hiding in the shadow of his expression indicated to Sakura that he had intended all week to be there when his little girl got to experience Christmas Day. “Please, Daddy?” she begged, batting her eyes at him.

“Hmm, I suppose so. I have time,” he consented, and in her excitement she snatched the phone away and hopped off the bed, promptly taking off out of the room and down the hall with elated laughing.

“Hey! Sarada!” Sakura laughed as her daughter absconded with her phone, throwing the covers off herself and sliding out of bed. She made no hurry to go after her, however, just slid her feet into her slippers and grabbed the bathrobe hanging off the bedroom door and wrapped it around herself. She shuffled down the hall as she followed Sarada's happy chatter, and the woman caught wisps of conversation drifting down the hall from the living room. While she waited for her mother, the little girl was describing the experience of decorating the Christmas tree to her absent father. They had shown him the day they had put it up, but the little girl had seemed to forget about it in all the commotion.

After getting a cup of coffee, Sakura strode into the living room to see her daughter sitting at the base of the tree positively bursting with excitement. “Okay! Are we ready?” the housewife smiled as she settled herself into an armchair, crossing her legs and holding her cup of coffee close, waking up as she breathed in the fumes of the hearty drink.

“Okay! Daddy, watch!” Sarada grinned as she propped up the phone so that he could see both of them and still had a prime view of his daughter opening presents. Sarada naturally dragged over the largest one first and began tearing eagerly into the wrapping paper. “Whoa! A dollhouse!” she cried as the toy contained inside was revealed, and she hopped up and down excitedly as she ran around the massive constriction to fully appreciate the large house. “It has a mommy, and a daddy, and a daughter, just like us! Plus a dog! Mommy, can we get a dog?”

“Maybe for your birthday,” Sakura laughed and waved a hand dismissively. “Keep opening them!” she commanded, and the young girl eagerly complied. Sarada pushed the dollhouse to one corner before tearing into more presents. She unearthed a new dress and promptly stripped down to her little pink undies to slip on the dress and do a fashion walk for her chuckling parents, the tag still flopping about as she pranced around. She soon paired it with a new pair of little flats and a bow. She tore into another box to find a storybook, and flipped it open to start reading it until her parents reminded her of the task at hand. She tossed the book aside to resume plundering her presents.

“Daddy, look! Isn’t this teddy bear cute?” Sarada asked as she held up her new stuffed animal.

“Very cute,” he confirmed with an amused smile. He was leaned back against a bed with one hand behind his back, watching his daughter happily. _I wish he could be here,_ Sakura lamented silently. Even though he looked happy, she could tell that he was pained at being unable to be with his daughter on Christmas. As Sarada begged for her attention, she was dragged back to the present to act extremely excited over the pair of funny socks that Santa had brought her. Sarada had made her way through quite a chunk of the gifts now, and wrapping paper and ribbon and bows were strewn across the living room floor. As she paraded around, the paper crumpled beneath her feet. The doting parents watched her unwrap more clothes and toys before she was finally finished and settled down to play with her things. Sakura set the empty coffee cup down on the coffee table and stood up, walking across the room to bend down and retrieve the phone. She swept her hair behind her ear as she straightened up, smiling now that she had a minute alone with her husband.

“Another great year,” she murmured as she walked into the adjoining kitchen. “… I wish you could be here, honey,” she sighed after a moment. It wasn’t often that she allowed the loneliness to show. Usually it was times like these, when they should be together as a family. She knew Sasuke did what he had to, but even though she accepted it, it hurt no less when he was gone.

“I know,” he sighed deeply, and the hurt showed on his expression despite his normally guarded emotions. As she gazed at him, she cocked her head to the side slightly as she realized he had seemed to have switched from a bed to a couch, and he was lying on his back so she couldn’t really analyze it too much.  It was a strange-looking couch, made of some gray material, but before she could inquire she heard raucous knocking at the door. “Lemme guess. Naruto?” Sasuke smirked as he heard the unmistakable sound of his best friend. Even in knocking, the yellow-haired man was boisterous.

“Sakuraaaaaa~” she heard him calling impatiently at the front door.

“The one and only,” Sakura laughed as she walked out of the kitchen to greet their mutual friend. It had become a sort of odd tradition for Naruto and Sasuke's families to spend Christmas together. Sarada joined her mother in the entryway, holding her new teddy bear and bouncing up and down on her heels as she prepared to greet the man she regarded as an uncle. Sakura smiled as she opened the door, and her daughter immediately jumped at Naruto's legs.

“Uncle Naruto!” Sarada squealed happily, and the tall man laughed and leaned down to give the girl a bear hug.

“Hey, Sarada! Wow! Look at that teddy bear! It's awesome!” he beamed as she displayed it proudly for him to see. He straightened back up once he was done doting on the little girl, who had moved on to show off her teddy to an only mildly interested Boruto. “Hey, Sakura,” he smiled and leaned forward to give her a one-armed hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

“Merry Christmas!” Hinata, his pretty wife and another one of their childhood friends, smiled warmly and looked down at their one-year-old baby, Hinawari, before grabbing her hand and waving it in greeting. “Say hello, Himawari,” she chuckled.

“Morning, guys. Say hello to Sasuke!” Sakura beamed and held up the phone to the family, who all waved happily- except for Naruto, who whined loudly and grabbed the phone so only he was in the phone screen.

“Sasukeeeee! Come hooooooome! I miss youuuuuu!” he whined miserably before Sakura wrenched the phone back with a pout.

“Are you his wife all of a sudden?” she huffed and looked back at the screen. Sasuke looked half-amused and half-annoyed.

“Really, you should have expected him to act like that. He’s always been such a girl,” he smirked up at her.

“Can we eat now? I’m hungry!” Boruto whined and tugged on the hem of his mother's dress. As per tradition, Naruto, his wife, and his children always came over to Sakura's house and she cooked breakfast for them. I had started back when it was only the original trio, mostly because Naruto was broke and lonely back in the day, and it had just stuck. “I want waffles!”

“You’ll get your waffles,” Naruto laughed. “First though, we have to give Sakura and Sarada their present,” he added with a sudden mischievous grin, and Sakura's expression turned to confusion while Sarada, the innocent child that she was, was just excited to be getting another gift.

“What? Naruto, we never get each other presents anymore,” she blinked and looked down at the video screen to see if her husband had been in on the plan only to find that the call had ended. Perplexed, she looked at Naruto for explanation, but movement in the driveway caught her eye and she peered over Naruto's shoulder. The phone fell from her hand as it rose to her mouth, and she was barely aware of Naruto fumbling to catch it as she watched the back door of his car open and her husband climb out.

“Jeez. I thought I was never gonna get out of there. Do you know how uncomfortable it is laying in the back of one of those things?” he complained nonchalantly as he rubbed his neck, but the smile of happiness was clear on his face.

“Daddy!” Sarada screamed and roughly shoved Boruto aside as she made a mad dash for her father, her teddy bear swinging from her hands as she dashed down the driveway. Sasuke laughed and crouched down to embrace his daughter, pulling her into his arms and swinging her around.

“Ah, there's my girl. You’ve gotten taller, haven't you?” he grinned as he swept a few black strands of hair from her face.

“Uh-huh! Taller than Boruto!” she confirmed happily.

“Not true!” the aforementioned boy whined from his comfy spot on the concrete. As he held his daughter, Sasuke's dark eyes fell on his wife, who was still standing in shock in the doorway. Once those eyes fell on her, she suddenly stirred into motion, like a robot suddenly brought to life. She tried to stifle a sob as she moved past Naruto and Hinata to approach her husband, but failed miserably and began to cry. She was just _so_ happy. He had been gone for months, and now he was _here,_ so suddenly, and it was just too much.

“S-Sasuke,” she stammered pitifully. _Only this man can make me blubber like a fool,_ she thought dryly as he slid his free arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to kiss her forehead.

“Merry Christmas, honey,” he murmured against her skin, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“I can't believe you and Naruto conspired like this. You big meanie,” she mumbled as she buried her face into his broad chest, breathing in the scent of him that she had missed, savoring his mere presence.

“Hey, I went to great lengths to pull this off. I’m rather proud of myself. Do you know how much I had to threaten Naruto to keep his big mouth shut?” Sasuke laughed as he held her, and Sakura could not help but release a half-laugh, half-sob of her own.

“Heyyyy!” Naruto whined from the threshold of the door. “I'm not that bad!”

“Yeah you are, Dad,” his son refuted, and the older man hung his head in shame at being so bluntly called out by his six-year-old. Hinata chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder, watching the touching scene with a smile.

“I’m so happy,” Sakura whispered as she wrapped her arms around her beloved husband, holding him tightly. She knew that sooner or later she would have to let him go again, but until that time, she was going to keep him as close as possible.

“Is it time for waffles now?” Sarada asked suddenly, making them all break into a fit of laughter. Sasuke set her down and she ran back into the house with the Uzumakis in tow, while her parents lingered out in the driveway for a brief moment of privacy. Sakura gazed up at her husband as he swept her hair from her face.

“So? Good gift?” he smirked down at her jokingly.

“Every moment I have with you is a gift,” she responded lovingly, then stood up on her tip-toes to lightly kiss him.

_And I treasure every one._


	28. The War Left Unfought

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters: Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye

Prompt taken from the Tumblr blog hellsdemonictrinity! Please check them out!

Roy looked up at the sky as cannonballs sailed overhead with shrill screams, ripping through the smoke-choked air as they plummeted slowly to the ground to crash violently into the simply constructed wood-and-stone buildings a few hundred yards from where he was standing. The structures, no more than mere hovels, splintered and erupted upon impact, sending shards of sharp wood and stone careening in all directions; the small, deadly projectiles ripped through the wailing civilians as they fled for their lives, their screams of pure terror and agony blending in with the angry wails of the iron balls that fell like meteors to the earth. Every once in a while, the smoke would be forced away by the high-speed giant bullets to reveal a flaming blue sky above, but it was soon overtaken again by the thick blanket of ash and smoke and dust that rose from the battlefield. Roy lived for that glimpse of blue among the ugly hues of brown and black and grey, because it proved to him that even in all this destruction and death there was still something beautiful left.

Something that he could hold on to.

Slowly, the booming of the cannons and their shrieking spawn fell silent, and all he could hear were the moans of the dying and the sobbing of those still trying to flee drifting on the wind, hot with the heat of the flames flickering amongst the carnage stretching out before him. Red and orange danced amongst the muted browns and grays, eagerly spreading across any surface that would satisfy its endlessly hungry maw. Soon, the horizon glowed with the flickering flames, crackling with such fierce intensity that the screams were completely eclipsed- but not to Roy. He could still hear them, the agonized wails of men and women who lay amongst the rubble, the terrified shrieks of mothers clinging to their children and trying to shield them from harm, the hurried wail of a child who had suffered the bitter, bitter taste of war… All of them echoed in Roy's head, and he could not block them out, no matter how hard he tried…

After the fires had died out, it was obvious from the complete and utter destruction that Roy's alchemical powers would be unnecessary overkill. Still, there was the matter of eliminating any unlikely survivors, and so he and his troop of soldiers approached the blackened shell of the small village, their noses crinkling as their nostrils burned with the acrid odor of ash and charred flesh. A few of them were still green, and as they stumbled across the blackened bodies they stumbled off behind one of the collapsed hovels to retch. Roy almost envied them; they, at least, had some shred of humanity left. Roy had none. Stoic, unfeeling, hard as stone, he walked amongst the ruin he had helped make. Occasionally the air would ring with a gunshot as a survivor was discovered. The more bloodthirsty fellows would have at them with their bayonets, and there would be a shrill squeal followed by acute silence only filled with the lingering crackle of small flames and the crunch of their boots across the soot-covered, rubble-littered path.

Roy whipped around as he heard the sharp sliding of feet down a roof, his hand raised and fingers poised to snap, but he tensed when he realized it was not an enemy who had appeared so suddenly in his vicinity. Riza Hawkeye landed lightly on the sandy ground as she hopped off a large section of a collapsed building, perfectly positioned to act as a slope. Her sniper rifle was slung over her shoulder, and her uniform was smeared with dirt and soot, as was her face. Somehow, that did not make her less pretty. She saluted him as he lowered his arm, and then approached with an equally calm, set expression.

“I’ve come to assist in the clearing of this area,” she informed him before glancing around the blackened shell that had once been a thriving, bustling residential area. Now it was a haunt for ghosts, only inhabited by the damned beings that they were. “It seems the cannons did their work,” she remarked casually. _No. The men did their work. Cannons don't destroy; people do,_ he thought to himself. Abruptly, Riza narrowed her eyes and she slowly reached to pull her gun around, indicating that she saw movement. Roy narrowed his eyes, flicking his gaze across the ruined landscape, until he spotted a pair of frightened red eyes staring back at him from the darkness of a half-collapsed hovel. Then, they vanished, and out from behind the rubble sprang the form a little Ishvalan boy as he made a mad dash to escape. Neither Roy nor Riza moved, perhaps secretly hoping that their soldiers had been oblivious.

Of course, they had not.

Several shots rang out in the air. One bullet bounced off a brick, chipping the stone. Another shot into the dust at the boy’s feet, causing him to pause and try to zig-zag away. However, the third caught him in the leg, and he starting screaming in agony, and Riza sighed under her breath as she raised her gun and peered into the scope, and all the while he was just crying, and screaming, and _screaming…_

Roy awoke with a start, clutching his bedsheets tightly as he shot into a sitting position, panting heavily and drenched in a cold sweat. The room around him was dark, but a little moonlight streamed in through the window, half-open due to the summer heat. The curtains fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and it made Roy feel cold as it brushed over his sweat-slicked skin. Slowly, the heart hammering in his chest quieted, and his wide eyes slowly closed as he released a heavy exhale of both relief and exhaustion. He ran a hand over his face, convinced he had more wrinkles than before he had went to bed, before lightly pulling the sheets off of him and sliding out of the bed. Barefoot and bare-chested, he walked across the carpeted floor and into the bathroom, turning on the tap and leaning down to splash cold water onto his face to chase the lingering dream away. After he turned off the water, he leaned over the sink, his knuckles white as he clenched the bathroom counter with unnecessary strength. In the back of his mind, the screaming echoed, unrelenting, growing louder with every passing second.

“Which one was it this time?” came a soft voice from the bedroom, and Roy lifted his head wearily. In the gloom, his wife was sitting up in bed, her golden hair flowing around her face and over her shoulders as she gazed at him levelly. She was wearing that same stoic, set look as she had in the dream, but yet it was softer; there was a hint of a smile in the corners of her mouth, and in her eyes was not the hardness of a soldier, but all the love that a woman could give. “Talk to me. I’m here for you,” she continued as her expression softened into a smile. With another small sigh, Roy straightened up, looking at himself in the mirror and noting the bags that had appeared under his eyes.

“The little boy,” he answered quietly. “After we destroyed the village by cannon, we walked the ruins, and you joined us there. He tried to run away,” he clarified after a moment of trying to suppressing the screams suddenly silenced by a single shot. “You gave him mercy.”

“Oh, yes. That one,” she recalled bluntly. Though it would appear that Roy was the calm, collected leader, when the uniform came off and the thoughts ran loose, his mind was in shambles. Riza had fought that battle and won; for Roy, it was the war left unfought. Awakening in the middle of the night with imaginary blood on his hands and screams in his head was not an uncommon occurrence. As he continued to gaze miserably into the smooth glass, he heard Riza slide out of the bed and come walking over to join him in the bathroom. She was wearing on of his button-up shirts; he wasn't sure why, but she liked to do so often. Perhaps it comforted her in some way. As well as he knew her and as much as he loved her, Roy still sometimes couldn't guess what she was thinking nor explain her actions. “That one was hard for you. I remember,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and peered around his muscular arm, still wearing that small smile.

“How do you do it, Riza?” he sighed deeply and closed his eyes, leaning his head back as the phantasms of those he had slain flashed in the dark. “I see them and hear them, so clearly… I was following orders, plain and simple, and even now I’m working so hard to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. So why do they still haunt me?”

“They haunt me, too,” she answered simply, and that shocked him enough to open his eyes and glance down at her. She was staring into the mirror, and her soft face looked suddenly so tired, with the glassy eyes of someone haunted as he was. He didn't understand. Riza did not wake up in the dead of night as ghosts of years past plagued her dreams; Riza, the one who had followed him into Hell and back, who had been there for him in all his times of need, the one he had always counted on because he knew that she was more put together than he could ever be. Was everything he had ever thought a lie? “I dream, sometimes, or when my mind wanders I think back to those times, and the things I did frighten me,” she admitted quietly, and then looked up at him with a smile. “But I remember that I was not alone, nor did I ever accept those atrocious things we did. I kept fighting, with you, and the Elric brothers, and Alex, and everyone. The people I killed will never leave me, Roy- but I no longer feel guilty. I did what I had to do then, and then I did what I had to do to make up for it. You did even more- you tore down the government that made that possible and made amends for the horrible things that happened, shouldering that burden by yourself. They will never leave you, but the blood is no longer on your hands,” she explained calmly.

Roy stared down at her, struck deeply. He had tried to tell himself that many times, but somehow it had never stuck; it had always come off as wishful thinking, or trying to run away from what he had done. Yet, hearing those words from _her_ mouth seemed so much more true. He glanced down at his hands, which had borne so much blood over the years, and yet now as he stared down at them they seemed more pure than they had ever been. _My war was won. I’ve been fighting a needless battle,_ he realized.

“Riza…” he murmured and looked back at her, but the words of gratitude simply would not come. She knew what he meant, though. She stood up on her tip-toes to lightly press her mouth to hers, and she let the kiss linger for a moment before pulling back and turning around to saunter back into the bedroom.

“Come on. I know how much you like your sleep. You'd better get back in here, because _I’m_ the one who has to deal with you in the morning,” she sighed as she clambered back into bed and curled up beneath the sheets. Roy blinked at her, then chuckled and followed after her, climbing into the bed and laying down on his back with a small sigh. As Riza pressed close against him, he lifted an arm to slide it beneath her head, holding her close to him. Soon her breathing settled into a soft, steady rhythm, and Roy listened to it for a while, watching her sleep. She always seemed more innocent when she was sleeping, not like the confident, powerful woman she was by day. That thought made him smirk, as he knew Riza would never forgive him for thinking something like that.

“You really are something,” he sighed and leaned down to press a kiss into her golden hair before straightening back out and closing his eyes. Somehow, sleep came easier to him than it had in a long time, and for once, he dreamed of happier things…


	29. The Man I Know and Love Part III

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested by: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami breathed in deeply as she stood with her hands resting against the smooth railing of the Thousand Sunny, her eyes closed as the salty aroma of the endless sea filled her nose. _It's over… We're free…_ she thought blissfully, so overcome with relief that a few tears slipped from her eyes and went rolling down her cheeks. _We're safe._ At least, they were for the moment. Luffy's brazen siege of her kingdom in the attempt to recover Sanji had slighted her immensely, and she was an Emperor- she was not going to take that bold challenge go unanswered. Most likely, she was already in pursuit, and would follow them all the way to Wano where _another_ Emperor was waiting. They had barely managed to escape from one Emperor; Nami could not imagine facing off against two, and rumor of Luffy's reckless actions had already spread, so who knew if the others would rise up to quash the force that was rapidly growing. Luffy was the force on the seas to be reckoned with. His bounty had been increased to a whopping 150 billion Berries, and as a result of his daring escape and association with the Germa 66, Sanji's had increased as well. The Straw Hats would soon find that they had more enemies than friends.

 _Still,_ she thought as she glanced over her shoulder down to the deck of the ship, where Luffy, covered in thick bandages, was dozing in the sunlight. _I have faith in my captain, as goofy and unassuming as he is._ Somehow, he had brought them through the raid of Whole Cake Island relatively unharmed- that fact spoke volumes. Though the days before them were uncertain, Nami believed that the darkness would pass.

Nami's gaze flicked across the large deck of the ship as movement flashed in her peripheral vision, and a blush immediately rose to her cheeks when she noticed that it was the suave cook they had nearly killed themselves to rescue- the man that had finally proclaimed his love to her, a love that Nami had gladly accepted and reciprocated. However, the entire idea was still new to her, and every time that she saw him she thought of the passionate kisses, once in the hallway and again in Bege's castle fortress, and that sent her heart to beating furiously in her chest. _“I told you once, there is only one woman who holds my heart, and that is you,”_ his voice echoed in her head, making her blush further. As she gazed at him with emotions bubbling up inside of her, Sanji glanced up as he strode across the deck, and his expression melted into a smile when he saw her. Wherever he was heading, he abandoned the endeavor and lightly hopped up the steps to join her on the upper deck, while Nami, embarrassed for him to see her blushing, turned her face back to the sparkling sea.

“What're you thinking about?” he asked her as he slid up beside her, his hands resting casually in his pants pockets. With the chaos of the previous days, the small notion that was the familiarity of his posture was almost comforting.

“I’m just relieved,” she answered honestly as she glanced down at her hands that were clutching the wooden banister. “We went through so much, and for a little while there, in the back of my mind, I was afraid that we really weren't going to make it… But we did. We escaped Big Mom. We got you back,” she smiled and looked up at him happily. _He's safe…_  Without thinking, she pressed up against him, their arms brushing gently together; though it had been an unconscious action, the corners of Sanji's mouth tugged up into a smirk, and then the next thing she knew he had slipped his arm around her waist. “Sanji, wait,” she gasped and hurriedly whipped around to look back down at the deck, where her captain was still softly snoring. “The rest of the crew doesn't know about us yet!” she fretted and tried to worm her way out of his grasp, but as she turned to the side, his hands migrated to her hips and pulled her body up against his. Her face turned bright red as their bodies met, but Sanji was all-smiles, grinning like an idiot at her obvious mortification. “Sanjiiiiii!” she whined, but not too loudly so as not to attract attention.

“Why do I have to hide it?” he asked her with a suddenly serious expression. “I love you, Nami. I want everyone to know it.” Naturally, this made her feel slightly guilty, but she still could not handle the stress of the entire crew becoming aware of their recent romantic involvement. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she pressed her hand against his mouth, which he did _not_ appreciate. His dark eyes narrowed with a mixture of disappointment and irritation, and he reached up to pry her slim fingers from his mouth.

“That's the second time you’ve done this to me,” he whined loudly, then looked down at her hand, which he was still gently holding. Then, with a smug smirk, he pulled his hand to his mouth and softly kissed her knuckles, once, twice, a third time. As nice as it felt, she could not fully enjoy it, as she kept frantically glancing around at the various entrances onto the deck and to where Luffy still lay dozing lest one of the crew members stumble across them embroiled in the romantic gesture. Sanji didn't take lightly to that, either, and stopped affectionately smooching her hand to glance up at her crossly.

“Can't we just go in my room to do this?” she complained with another furtive look over the ship, attempting to pull her arm back. Sanji's grip held steady.

“No. Why are you acting like this? Are you embarrassed of me?” he asked, and when she looked back at him, his face had turned from irritated to extremely sad. Nami immediately felt guilty for the way that she had been acting. _Why am I so embarrassed?  I put my life on the line to save him from Big Mom and all her murderous followers… This is a man I know and love. I shouldn't be embarrassed of him, and I shouldn't be embarrassed of him showing that he loves me, and me showing that I love him…_ she thought, a smile spreading slowly across her lips.

“No. Of course I’m not, Sanji,” she sighed and reached up with her free hand to gently cup his cheek. “I’m sorry. It's just so natural for you, but for me… This is all new. I just get so into my head,” she explained and looked down at their joined hands. “… Let's tell them,” she decided abruptly, and even Sanji seemed surprised at her sudden boldness.

“Are you sure?” he blinked with an unsure look. “I don't want to force you into anything, Nami. If you're really that uncomfortable, I don't mind hiding it for a while,” he frowned. _He's so sweet and considerate,_ she thought with a small giggle before she adjusted her fingers so that their hands were entwined.

“No, Sanji, you're right. Why should I hide the fact that I love you?” she smiled brightly, and she laughed again as a goofy grin slowly spread across his face. She gasped as he suddenly sprung forward to steal a quick, passionate kiss from her, before whirling about to pull her down the steps onto the main deck of the ship. Despite her conviction only a few moments ago, his suddenness threw her off guard, and she internally panicked as he bustled her down onto the deck and slammed his foot down loudly onto the wooden planks right in front of Luffy's face.

“Get up, Luffy, you’ve slept enough! I have an announcement!” Sanji shouted. Luffy merely groaned with a flutter of his eyelids, slowly lifting his head as a dribble of drool flowed from his mouth.

“Nggh? Is it dinnertime yet?” the pirate captain mumbled sleepily as he gazed sleepily up at the cook, who just snorted and crossed his arms.

“No, it is not dinnertime. I have something to tell everyone,” he reiterated. Perhaps part of his plan, the ruckus attracted the rest of the Straw Hat crew that had made the journey to Whole Cake island from the bowels of the Thousand Sunny.

“An announcement? What is it?” Carrot quipped as she scurried out of the lower desks, her nose twitching as her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Chopper tottered out after her, his little reindeer hooves clicking against the wood as he walked.

“What's all this about?” Brooke asked as he strode out onto the deck with his long, bony legs. Nami just hid behind Sanji, her face bright pink as she stressed; Sanji, on the other hand, was calm as he cleared his thought dramatically before pulling Nami out into the spotlight, throwing his arm around her shoulders and grinning dramatically.

“Nami is my girlfriend~” he crowed proudly. He was practically radiating happiness as he stood with his arm around her, while she was blushing from head to toe, her gaze trained on the wood grains beneath her feet. _This is so embarrassing! Did he have to make such a show of it?_ She thought in mortification and peered out of the corners of her eyes at him. He looked positively ecstatic, though, to be able to show her off, that she took a deep breath to quiet her doubts and lifted her head to smile just as happily.

“Really? That's the big announcement? I thought you were announcing dinner!” Luffy whined as he flopped onto his back and held his belly in protest. “Meat! I want meat!” _So much for that,_ Nami sighed to herself. Luffy's insatiable appetite never ceased to amaze. Thankfully, the rest of them were more excited about the recent development.

“Wow! I’m so excited for you, Nami!” Carrot cried as she darted forward to clutch her hands, her eyes literally sparkling as she stared at the girl with a mixture of excitement and pride.

“Oh, how wonderful! I shall sing a song~” Brooke cried and whipped out a violin (from where, Nami really wasn't sure), drawing the bow across the strings as he sang some love song or another while Sanji very grumpily told him to knock it off. Chopper was running around in a circle squealing with glee.

“I think I’m gonna die of happiness! Someone get a doctor! Wait- I am the doctor!” he shrieked and froze when he came to that realization. As they all reacted positively, Nami began to feel a lot more at ease. _I’m… Sanji's girlfriend._ Hearing herself say it made her surprisingly giddy, and bold; with a bright smile, she wound her arms around Sanji's, gazing up at him with all the love that she felt in that moment. Noticing her stare, he looked down, and as their eyes met she could see that her love was reciprocated completely. _The man I know and love,_ she thought, and without any shame at all she stood up on her tip-toes to lightly press her lips to his. Though he was obviously surprised at first, he soon relaxed into it and gladly returned her affectionate action.

“Grooooooooss!” Luffy whined, utterly destroying the loving atmosphere between them. Both she and Sanji shot him irritated glares, but the immature captain just pouted as he looked up at them. “I don't care! Make me food!” he cried and lunged forward to grab onto Sanji's leg, like a young child throwing a tantrum. “I’m huuuuuuunnnngryyyyy!”

“Get off!” Sanji cried back as he tried to shake him off, but if their long adventure had proven anything, is was two things: Luffy could not be dissuaded when he set to his mind to something, and his stomach was almost as much of a force to be reckoned with as he was himself. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to pry the hungry man off of him, Sanji finally relented with a deep sigh and a roll of his eyes. “Fine, fine! I’ll cook you some food! Geez, you're such a pain!” he complained, and at the promise off food the rubber man finally relinquished his hold on Sanji's leg.

“I'll join you!” Nami cried as he began to walk off toward the kitchen, and since he was already falling into that acute sense of focus that he had when cooking, he just waved a hand in acknowledgement. The rest of the crew began to chatter about some ridiculous thing or another as Nami walked briskly after the long-legged man, following him into his beloved kitchen. As soon as she closed the door behind her, however, Sanjo dropped his act and cornered her against the door with a sudden and passionate kiss. Nami was helpless as he pulled her into his arms and stole her breath away; she just allowed it to happen, obediently moving her mouth against his as he pushed the kiss deeper. After a few minutes of hot, heavy kissing, he retreated, but only slightly.

“Sorry. I just had to finish what you started,” he teased with a smug smirk, his face close enough that his lips brushed against hers with every word. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, so fiercely that she couldn't focus on trying to speak. She just stared dumbly at him with a face flushed from emotion and exertion. Sanji leaned forward to lightly kiss her on the nose, and the simple touch stirred her from her stupor. However, before she could react, he chuckled lightly and pulled away from her to walk into the heart of the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to get right to work. “So, are you gonna stand there and look pretty or are you going to help me? Not that I mind you standing there and looking pretty,” he winked at her with a cheeky grin. Nami rolled her eyes and bounced across the kitchen to join him, and soon the kitchen became filled with the aroma of lovely-smelling food as well as elated laughter.

_I love him so much… I hope things can stay like this for a long, long time…_


	30. You and I

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki and Tatsuki Arasawa

Requested By:  Jonathan Gart (FanFiction)

Prompt taken from the Tumblr blog, hellsdemonictrinity! Please go check them out!

Tatsuki strode purposefully down the school hallway, her bag laden with schoolbooks swinging at her side with every stride. People automatically moved aside as she strolled by. She always had this air of confidence about her that people just seemed to sense, and gave her a wide birth by instinct; Tatsuki didn't mind that, of course, since it meant that she did not have to squeeze through crowds of people on her way to her class. Plus, people knew that Tatsuki was a champion fighter, so perhaps they simply did not wish to get on her bad side. The funny thing was that Tatsuki really didn't have one- unless of course someone made the grave mistake of harassing her friends.

As she walked into the classroom, a jovial voice rang out from the rows of desk, and the scruffy-haired girl turned to see her boisterous friend Orihime jumping up in her desk and waving excitedly.

“Good morning, Tatsuki!” she called happily as she approached and set her things down at her desk.

“Morning, Orihime,” she responded with a smile before sitting in her desk and propping up her feet with a yawn. Though she did well enough in class, she would much rather be practicing in the gym than sitting at a desk while a teacher shoved facts and rules down her throat. Still, having Orihime in the same class made things much more bearable; the bubbly girl immediately began babbling about a cute squirrel she had seen on the way to school that morning, and Tatsuki listened with an amused smile, enjoying how her friend found entertainment in the simplest things. The girl continued to prattle on about various things until she abruptly stopped and looked at a point over Tastuki's shoulder. Raising an eyebrow, Tatsuki followed her friend's gaze to see a pair of boys standing next to the desk. Tatsuki could immediately tell that they were bad news by the way they were standing, slouching with their hands in their pants pockets and their shirts untucked, and the smug sneers on their mouths.

“Hey, Orihime. New haircut?” one of them asked, and the tone in his voice bothered Tatsuki. Orihime, innocent as ever, completely missed the haughty air of the conversation and beamed, running her fingers through her orangey-brown hair.

“Oh, yes! I only got it trimmed, though. How nice of you to notice!” she responded with a light blush and a wonderfully bright smile. Tatsuki just watched the pair of them levelly, waiting to see how they would respond. _These thugs had better keep their mouths shut._

“Say, Orihime. Why don't you ditch this place and come have some fun?” the other one offered with a grin laden with lecherous intent. _There it is._ “You don't really want to sit in here all day, do you?” Orihime's expression immediately became more nervous, and she laughed nervously as she attempted to diffuse the rapidly accelerating situation.

“Oh! I’m sorry. School is really important to me, you know, so I really can't skip! Hehe…” she responded weakly, and Tatsuki noticed that she edged slightly away from them and glanced down at her with pleading eyes.

“Come on,” the persistent thug pressed as he put his hand on the desk to lean across and bring his face closer to the frightened Orihime's. “You're much too pretty to be wasting your time in he- Owwww!” he yelped mid-sentence as Tatsuki wrapped her hand around his wrist and forcibly pried it from her desk and bent it backwards. He attempted to wrench free of her iron grip, to no avail, and his bones cracked under the force of her grasp.

“She said that she wasn't interested. Take a hint. Maybe it'll even raise your IQ's a little,” she told him calmly, her voice level; however, a fierce fire burned in her gaze, a stark warning for the boys to abandon their foolish effort to court the obviously disinterested girl. She held his wrist for a moment before suddenly releasing it, and he yelped while hastily snapping his hand back lest Tatsuki decide to resume the violent action. Tatsuki pulled her back onto her desk, honestly expecting the boys to be thoroughly threatened and make a hasty retreat, but she gasped as her bag was suddenly wrenched from her hands and flung across the room. Orihime cried out in shock, and the rest of the students, attracted by the commotion, fell silent as they watched the situation escalate.

“You stupid bitch. I don't recall inviting you to the conversation,” the thug growled at her. Tatsuki, not one to be easily threatened, merely gazed up at him with a calm look.

“You're on my desk. That makes me part of the conversation,” she responded levelly, trying to keep her eye from twitching with annoyance. She really wasn't interested in catering to the inflated egos of a couple of self-proclaimed casanovas, and she certainly did not appreciate her things being thrown into a wall. Before they could respond, the teacher strode into the room, and that seemed to deter them if only for the moment.

“This isn't over,” he growled at her as he cradled his likely bruised hand, and he and his lackey hastily retreated before the instructor could respond to the situation. As they fled, Ichigo and his usual posse came strolling in, and the tall boy raised his eyebrows as one of them roughly shoved him aside.

“Hey! Watch where you're going, will ya?” he shouted after him with an irritated glare before snorting and walking into the classroom. He stopped when he noticed the contents of Tatsuki's school bag strewn around the back wall, the intense silence of the room, and the horrified expression on Orihime's face. “What the hell happened in here?” he blinked, looking from Tatsuki to the door and then back to her.

“Nothing. Just dealing with a couple of losers,” she responded. She then released a small sigh and stood to retrieve her things, walking around the desk to crouch down and gather the various articles. As she reached for her bag, she was shocked when someone else picked it up before her, and she glanced up to see Ichigo standing there with a concerned look.

“Did those guys bother you, Tatsuki?” he asked, and she knew what that would lead to if she said yes.

“Hardly. They were just hitting on Orihime and didn't appreciate it when I told them to back off, that's all,” she answered simply and stood up to take the bag from him and stuff her things back inside.

“Do I need to beat them up?” he asked as he followed her back to his desk, his expression completely serious despite the nonchalant air about him, with his bag slung over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. Tatsuki snorted at the bold challenge and shook her head.

“No! It’s not that big of a deal. Jeez, like you don't get in enough fights!” she huffed as she plopped down in her desk and waved a hand dismissively at him. He lingered there for a moment, just staring at her, before shrugging and making his way back to his friends, which were cutting up already and making the teacher yell loudly at them. _Jeez. Why is he all on me about this?_ She wondered, watching him out of the corners of her eyes. _He’s always been touchy about people messing with me. He knows I can defend myself! So what's his deal?_

Slowly, the hum of conversation returned to the classroom, and Tatsuki acted natural as she settled into her desk and began preparing for the school day.

“Are you okay, Tatsuki?” Orihime cried worriedly once things had returned to normal, and Tatsuki simply smiled confidently at her. She was used to Orihime fretting over her.

“Of course! Guys like that don't scare me. You know that I could've flattened them in an instant!” she grinned and pulled out her notebook in anticipation of the morning bell. As the last of the students shuffled into the room and morning bell rang shrilly throughout the building, Tatsuki didn’t waste even a thought on incident. She dealt with things like that daily, after all.

But she couldn't get her mind off of the look on Ichigo's face.

The rest of the day passed slowly but uneventfully, and soon the afternoon dismissal bell was ringing overhead. The air was bursting with conversations of plans for the afternoon and homework and upcoming exams as Tastuki walked alongside Orihime towards the gym, where she was to undertake practice for the day. She bid her friend farewell at the exit before walking across the sandy courtyard, her shadow bouncing along beside her in the blazing sunlight. Suddenly, it was not not just her shadow stretching across the ground; two more had joined hers, one on either side, and Tatsuki realized that she was being followed. She stopped, letting her school bag drop to the ground before whipping around to confront her pursuers. She was only mildly surprised to see that it was the two punks from earlier that morning, cracking their knuckles threateningly as they snickered to themselves. Unfortunately for them, they believed that they had cornered the small girl.

“Hey, there. We got a bone to pick with you, little lady,” the leading delinquent sneered at her. “You see, I don't appreciate the way you treated me this morning. If you apologize, I may just treat you gently,” he offered, as if it were a fair offer. Tatsuki just snorted, amazed at how delusional he was.

“I’m not apologizing for anything. Get out of my face. I don't have the time for this,” she huffed and went to pick up her bag, then gasped as her arms were suddenly pinned behind her back, immobilizing her. She peered over her shoulder to see that an additional three guys had snuck up behind her, one of which who had grabbed her and placed her in a very compromising position. _Crap! I was so overconfident…_ she thought as she bit down on her lip. She could probably fight them off, but with her arms pinned, she was at an extreme disadvantage. She turned back when the leader of the band of punks began laughing coldly.

“I figured you would say something like that, so I brought along a couple of pals to help me teach you a lesson. You have a lot of nerve, walking around thinking you're all hot shit. You think you're tough? I’m gonna show you who's tough around here,” he smirked as he walked towards her with a sick expression. The other three men converged around him, so that all four of her were marching her with the obvious intent to do her harm. Tatsuki planted her feet, gritting her teeth as she suddenly grabbed onto the shirt of the boy holding her and then suddenly launching him over her back. The shock caused him to release his grip on her, so he went flying into his companions. They all cried out as he crashed into them, and Tatsuki fell into an offensive stance, cool as a cucumber as they scrambled to their feet. She could immediately tell that she pissed them off, especially the one who was leading the band of bungling would-be gangsters. “You're dead, bitch,” he hissed as blood dribbled from his mouth from where his friend had roughly crashed into him. Tatsuki's eyes widened as he suddenly procured a switchblade from his pocket and pulled it open, the sharp blade flashing white in the bright sunlight. Despite her bravado, Tatsuki was not fool enough to think she could fend off a knife attack and fight off four large boys at the same time, and she uneasily edged backwards.

“Hey, now… Take it easy…” she said quietly, raising her hands as if trying to appease an angry animal.

“Oh, no. It's too late for that now. I’m gonna carve up that pretty face of yours,” he grinned wildly, and the madness that had descended into his expression put a quiver into even her stout spine. _Oh my God… He actually wants to kill me…!_ She thought as she edged backwards. Even his lackeys were looking unsure, standing off to the side and watching in concern as the psychopath converged on the defenseless girl. As he raised his hand to strike, Tatsuki flinched and threw her arms up in some sort of defense, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for the blow to come.

“Hey, hey. Is that any way to treat a lady?” came a mocking voice, and Tatsuki's eyes flashed open as she immediately recognized it.

“Ichigo!” she exclaimed in surprise. From out of nowhere he had come onto the scene, appearing behind her assailant to grab ahold of his arm and prevent him from slashing at her with the small knife. The man's arm shook violently as it struggled in Ichigo's strong grasp, and she could see the panic in his expression; Ichigo, on the other hand, looked pretty calm for a guy who had intervened in an attempted knife attack- he was even smiling at her.

“Hey, Tatsuki. Got yourself in a bit of trouble, have we?” the orange-haired boy mused before, without any warning, punching the knife wielder violently in the face. Blood exploded from his nose as it broke under the force of his blow, and he crumpled like a rag doll. As the knife slipped from his hand, Ichigo kicked it away and looked down at the boy in disgust. “Piece of shit, drawing a knife on a girl like that. Who the hell do you think you are?!” he shouted angrily before driving his foot into his ribs, and Tatsuki cringed as she heard an audible crack. Before he could get in another blow, the four lackeys, loyal despite the fact that their boss went unhinged, jumped at Ichigo with their fists raised. Tatsuki just stood there, stunned, as they all became embroiled in a bitter scuffle that, despite the odds, Ichigo won in a matter of mere moments. Soon, he was standing there amongst a pile of bleeding, groaning guys, while he was covered in scratches and bruises and bleeding profusely from a gash on his arm. Apparently one of them had snatched up the knife in the chaos and lashed out at him, but that did little to stop him. Tatsuki knew Ichigo was handy in a street fight, but she was still impressed. She stiffened as he abruptly turned toward her. “You hurt?”

“No,” she answered. He nodded, then sighed deeply and reached up to crack his neck; then, to her astonishment, he just stepped over their bodies and began walking away. “Hey! You can't just walk off bleeding like that!” she cried and ran after him, grabbing him by the arm to hold him back. He looked down at her in shock, then looked down at his arm, which was rapidly turning red with the river of blood flowing down.

“Oh. I didn't even feel it,” he blinked, and Tatsuki decided go forgo inquiring about how he could not possibly feel a stab wound to instead drag him to the practice building and sit him down on one of the benches outside. Luckily, due to her own tendency to acquire injuries, she always had a first-aid kit on hand, and she hurriedly dug it out and popped it open to begin cleaning his wound. It was luckily not so deep to need stitches, and looked worse than it was.

“You need to control your temper,” she sighed quietly. Partly, she was bothered that Ichigo had even felt the need to rise to her defense. She could have handled it herself- or at least, that was what she was telling herself. Ichigo just glared at her.

“There were five of them, and one of them pulled a knife on you, Tatsuki. There was no way in hell that I was going to let you take them on like that. You're strong, no doubt about it, but even you have your limits,” he told her bluntly, and somehow that just made her angry, even though in the moment she had felt that way herself.

“I’ve kicked your ass in every fight we've ever had. I totally could have taken them,” she muttered as she set down a swathe of bloody fabric and began coating his gash with antibacterial ointment. Perhaps because she was irritated, she used more force than necessary, and he winced and hissed loudly in pain. Out of stubbornness, he didn’t even feel guilty. Ichigo was as stubborn as she was, though.

“What does that have to do with anything? Even if you could have taken those guys, they were trying to beat up in a girl! I couldn't let them just get away with that!” he snapped hotly. Scowling, Tatsuki grabbed some bandages and roughly wrapped his arms, and her lack of tenderness made Ichigo cry out and jerk back. “Would you cut that out? Your bedside manner is horrible!”

“Well, if you weren't such a jerk, I wouldn't be so pissed off!” she snapped hotly and glared up at him. Really, she wasn't mad at him; she was mad at herself. _I shouldn't have let my guard down like that. It made me vulnerable,_ she thought bitterly- and she hated feeling vulnerable. She hated to have to be rescued. “… Why did you have to get involved? I could have handled it,” she repeated, more softly, and her hands, still holding the slightly bloodied bandages, dropped down to her lap. She wouldn't cry- she had too much pride for that- but she could not stop her expression from growing sad. Ichigo blinked down at her, probably shocked to see her in such a state, before he smiled sweetly.

“Jeez, you don't get it, do you? And you call me dense,” he laughed. His lighthearted tone made her glance up, and her eyebrows shot up to her forehead when his face was suddenly right in front of hers. “I like you a lot, you know, so the sight of a guy waving a knife around at you _kind of_ pisses me off.” She was so in shock that she could only just stare dumbly at him, mouth slightly open, staring into his eyes that were burning with a sudden passion. She was trying to process what he had said, but it just wouldn't click in her mind. “Words not working? How about this, then?” he offered, and her eyes widened as he closed the distance between them to lightly press his lips to hers. She froze, her fingers curling into the fabric of her skirt as she struggled to try and react, but her brain was just going so crazy that she couldn't formulate one coherent thought. Finally, one finally managed to emerge from the fog.

_Me… and Ichigo?_

They had known each other since they were small children, and had naturally grown close over the years, but she had never imagined that he could have been harboring some sort of romantic attraction towards her. The even more shocking thing was that the simple action of their lips meeting stirred something inside of her that she hadn't even realized existed, a fire in her body that made her heart sing. _Me and Ichigo._ In her mind, it certainly didn't sound bad. Slowly, her muscles relaxed, and she was able to enjoy the feeling of his mouth gently moving over hers. After a moment, he pulled back, a triumphant smirk on his lips while Tatsuki just gazed up at him, her expression somewhere between confused and shy. “That's a pretty cute look you have on your face.”

“I'm not cute,” she insisted immediately, her ego taking over and shoving aside the effects of the smooth kiss. He just laughed at her, body shaking as she attempted to once again bind his wounds. She could not keep the heat from rising to her cheeks, so she kept her head down as she wound the bandages around his muscular arm, much more gently this time.

“You blushing? I didn’t know you could blush,” he teased, which of course made her blush further.

“Shut up!” she huffed and tied off the bandage, glaring up at him. “There. Now, at least, you won't bleed to death. Now, I have to get to practice. Don't kill yourself on the way home,” she sighed and rose to her feet, grabbing her things and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She paused for a moment, her emotions writhing inside of her, before she inhales sharply and quickly leaned down to kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Thanks for saving my butt. I owe you one,” she mumbled before whipping around to scurry into the practice building. Though her back was to him, she could feel him smiling, and that fact brought a smile to her own lips.

_You and I… Not a bad thought at all._


	31. A Lovely New Assistant

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: farrah87 (Ao3)

Sanji narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood in the doorway of his kitchen, the cigarette perched between his teeth trailing smoke into his mildly puzzled face as he slowly and deliberately scanned his dark eyes across his workspace. _Something is definitely off… That doesn't go there, and I **never** put that there… _As he perused the scene, noticing intricate, tiny details that gradually pieced together the puzzle in his mind: during his absence, someone had _definitely_ been in his kitchen.

It wasn't to be unexpected. After all, he had been in Big Mom's captivity for quite a long time; _someone_ had to cook for the crew while he was away. The question was, _who?_

“All right! Which one of you assholes messed with my kitchen?” he roared as he whipped around, chomping down on the end of his cigarette angrily as he dramatically stomped his foot against the deck of the ship. All the crewmembers, who had been lounging about on deck goofing off as usual, turned to look at him with surprised eyes while he was practically a raging inferno of anger. They had messed up his system, disturbed the sanctity that was his place to make _art,_ dammit, and he was gonna make sure that they had hell to pay.

“Oh, that would be Nami!” Carrot chirped, and immediately the fire that was his race fizzled out into a pathetic sizzle in a skillet. As he deflated like a balloon, blinking as he processed what the cute rabbit girl had just so happily revealed, the rest of the crew buzzed with recognition.

“That's right! Nami made such yummy food!” Chopper squealed and threw his little reindeer paws in the air. “Not anything like _Luffy's_ food. Blegh!” Sanji’s thought process screeched to a halt like a record scratch, and his eye spasmed repeatedly as he stiffly turned on the captain, who was laughing like the idiot he was.

“Yeah! I almost burned down the shi- _Gwak!”_ Sanji interrupted his sentence as he grabbed ahold of his throat and proceeded to throttle the life out of him, absolutely enraged that the moron would even _think_ about stepping into his beloved kitchen. The rest of the crew just cowered together like frightened sheep watching a wolf devour one of their brethren, while Luffy was a mere shredded corpse in Sanji's hands, wriggling his arms about and gasping for breath. Sanji dropped him on the door to death, mumbling under his breath before taking another puff of his cigarette and looking thoughtfully up at the door that led to Nami's work study. As Luffy drooled stupidly, unconscious, an image was forming in his mind.

 _Nami is handy in the kitchen, they say… It's always a chore cooking for all these morons alone. Plus…_ A pink blaze spread across his cheeks, and he nearly swooned imagining it. _Nami in a cute little pink apron!_ He could just see it, her innocently turning to glance over her shoulder with her eyes sparkling shyly and her face red as she held out a spoon for Sanji to taste her handiwork. He squealed with delight, clapping his hands together as his heart thumped right out of his chest, and then raced up the steps of the ship to pound on her door. When it opened, however, he magically regained his gentlemanly composure.

“Hello, Nami,” he grinned at her, and then bristled when she sharply answered “No" and slammed the door in his face. Frowning miserably at such a brusque refusal, he hesitantly knocking on the door again, more softly this time. “Nami, I wanted to know if you would help me in the kitchen,” he called hopefully. There was a period of silence, and he was afraid that she was ignoring him, until the door opened again and she was standing there with a doubtful look on her face.

“You never ask me for help with the cooking. What gives?” _Oh, she’s so cute when she’s stubborn!_ He thought, completely in the thralls of pure love, before he grinned widely and put his hands on his hips to bend down slightly and bring his face a little closer to hers. Her face flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger, and he hoped it was the latter.

“They tell me you cooked while I was gone, and were good at it! I can always use a hand. Please, Nami?” he asked her, flashing her his millionaire smile, and her face turned a nice shade of magenta. She looked down at her feet, muttered something under her breath, and then nodded firmly. Victorious, he spun around to dash down the stairs, ridiculous fantasies already racing through his mind while Nami just followed behind looking like she regretted it already. However, as he raced into the kitchen and put on his apron, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _All right! Time to get serious!_ When he turned fo greet the beautiful navigator as she walked in, his expression was that of a pure professional about to get to work. “Here, Nami. You'll need this,” he told her and handed her an apron. She walked over and took it from him, tying it about her waist, and his professionalism was momentarily betrayed by his lead underside screaming in delight. _She's so cute!_

“All right. What would you like me to do?”

“Cut those carrots, please,” he ordered, turning his face away to force himself to compose. _Come on, Sanji, you're at work here._ As she walked to the table and began to do as instructed, he watched her out of the corners of his eyes, going about his own business. A silence settled between them, and oddly, it was tense. Nami just stared at the table, chopping the carrots into slices, and there was a hardness to her expression that he could not place. After five minutes of brutal silence, she lowered the knife, staring at the carrot before her with eyes swimming with emotion. “Nami?” he asked aloud, turning to her, and she visibly jerked, as if roused from thought. Blushing, she hastily sliced the carrot and then carried the cutting board over to him, not meeting his eyes. Suspicious now, he watched her intently as he took the board from her and slid the carrots into the pot of stew that he was brewing.

“You baked the cake with Pudding, right?” she asked abruptly. Sanji's eyebrow shot up his forehead. _Where did that come from?_ “Did you… enjoy that?” A pink hue had risen to her cheeks, which were slightly puffed out as she consciously avoided his confused stare. _Is… is Nami **jealous** of Pudding? _He realized, a smile slowly forming on his lips. He had never seen Nami _jealous_ before, especially not over _him._ It made him positively _elated._ Smirking as a plan hatched in his mind, he turned around to stir the pot of stew nonchalantly.

“Pudding is quite a cook herself. It was nice working with someone of her caliber,” he remarked casually. “Could you start on the onions next, please?” he added with a point to the stack of them on the counter, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide as she tried to read what was going on in his mind. _She is **so** jealous! _He thought giddily, watching as she quietly walked over to the onions and began to peel and cut them. “Oh, yes, Pudding looked so cute in her little apron~” he chimed casually, watching her out of his peripheral vision, and Nami's face flushed darkly. It was then that he felt bad at the little game he was playing, as her expression grew dismally sad. “… But, you know,” he continued lowly, setting down the spoon on the counter and casually walking up behind her, “she definitely wasn't as cute as _you.”_ At his sudden appearance over her shoulder, she gasped and whipped around, and if his reflexes hadn't been what they were the knife she was using would’ve cleaved straight through his blonde hair. She bit down on her lip as she glared up at him, cheeks red, and then roughly thrust the cutting board into his hands.

“Here! The onions are done!” she snapped and jumped up, stalking over to the counter to grab a bigger knife and begin roughly sawing at a hunk of meat. She muttered under her breath, her face as red as the raw meat she was carving into, and Sanji watched her carefully as he dumped the vegetables into his stew. _Are those tears in the corners of her eyes? Great, now I’ve done it. You had to be cute, Sanji._ Still mumbling, she cursed as her long tangerine hair got in her way, and she grabbed a fistful of it to hold it to the back of her head; unfortunately, this made it difficult for her to cut the meat. As she was about ready to stab the slab of meat on frustration, Sanji quietly walked up behind her and gently took the waves of tangerine hair into his hands, holding up her hair for her.

“Here. This should make it easy, right?” he asked. She glared at him with blue eyes like the sea they sailed on, then snorted and went back to sawing at the meat angrily. _Jeez. I hope she isn't pretending that's me,_ he grimaced as she hacked at it without mercy. _Ugh, think, Sanji. You caused this mess. She thinks you like Pudding better! How can I prove that I don't?_ As he pondered the miserable grave he dug for himself, his fingers curled into her luscious locks, his eyes could not help but be attracted to that shining orange hair- and then her slim neck beyond. He focused on it, feeling a heat rising up inside of him, and before he even realized it he had leaned down and gently planted a kiss on the nape of her neck. He expected her to whip around, screeching obscenities and hacking at him with the knife, but instead she froze. He could feel the muscles of her neck stiffen under his mouth as he gently kissed her again.

“S-Sanji…” she murmured, and there was a fear in her voice, but an excitement, too, an excitement that made his blood get going. His gaze flicked upwards, his black eyes locking with her own, and she watched him apprehensively as he moved his face a little to softly kiss the side of her neck. Her head twitched in response, tilting as if to give him access to that beautiful, smooth, milky skin, and the lids of her eyes drifted down slightly and her mouth parted. Sanji _loved_ that look on her face, that look of scared ecstasy, and he bunched all of her hair in one hand to slide his other one under her chin, tilting it upwards as he traced his lips across the groove of her neck. She let out a little gasp, and that sound made every nerve in his body sing with electricity. His eyes still locked in hers, hungry, feral, his lips migrated slowly up her neck and across her chin until at last they reached their prize, sliding over her own with a quiet but fierce passion. As he kissed her, she melted against him, trembling slightly. The entire time their eyes remained open, and in the depths of her rich brown eyes he could see _everything._

When he pulled back she was breathless, shaking, and staring up at him with a mixture of helplessness and desire. It took her for a moment for her to gather her thoughts, so Sanji just held her, his arm around her waist while the other was still tangled in that beautiful orange hair. “I-I thought… Pudding…” she mumbled incoherently, but he guessed her intentions well enough.

“Pudding? Don't make me laugh. She's a pretty woman, but that's all; my heart always belonged to _you,_ Nami.” Her face relaxed a little, her mouth curling into a small smile, but he could still see the doubt there. “I shouldn't have said those things. I was just so overjoyed at the thought that you were jealous,” he admitted, and he was truly apologetic. Truly, he shouldn't have been cruel like that. He leaned down over her, bring his mouth close to hers again, and murmured against her lips, “Can you forgive me, Nami? For all the hurt I’ve put you through? I won't ever make you doubt again,” he vowed. He kept staring into her eyes, all that time, and watched as they flooded with happy tears. Choked up, all she could do was nod, and he smiled as he softly kissed her once more, more deeply and gently this time.

 _Nami… That whole time, all I could ever think about was you._ He pulled his face back to bury it into her neck, breathing in the scent of tangerines that she carried. “I missed you,” he mumbled. He really had. Though he had always played it off, he _loved_ Nami, with every fiber of his being; he always knew that his past would catch up to him, and so he lied, to everyone and himself, pretending to be a playboy with no conception of love. It had been hard, heartbreaking sometimes, and he had come so close to just abandoning the façade and giving in to the love he felt for the intelligent, beautiful navigator; but he had resisted, fearful of what his family might do if they ever learned of the girl. Now, though…

Now, he was free to do as he pleased with no fear at all.

He hadn't spoken it aloud, but Nami heard him. She reached up with her hands, sliding her slim, perfect fingers through his golden locks with a gentle smile.

“I missed you, too. You had better not leave again,” she warned him. He nodded, lifting his head to smile serenely down at her. “Now. We had better get down to business, okay? Luffy will start pounding on the door if we don't feed him soon,” she joked. As much as Sanji would just like to stand there and hold her and kiss her all day, he had a job to do, as a chef. Bending down to give her one last pack on the cheek, he then retreated and returned to his position at the stove, occasionally barking orders to Nami. He couldn’t help but watch her the entire time, appreciating just how adorable she looked cooking in an apron alongside him and occasionally holding her hair up with one hand.

 _Looks like I have a lovely new assistant,_ he mused to himself, because occasionally she would catch his gaze, and her face would melt into the most loving, happy smile he had ever seen her wear…


	32. Memory

Category: Friendship Fluff/ Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters: Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and Winry Rockbell

Edward swung the door open with a small sigh, a few iron nails clenched between his teeth and a hammer tucked under his arm. _Yeesh… That took way too long,_ he thought grumpily as he walked into the house and set the hammer down on the wooden table, then reached up to rub the sore muscles of his neck. Through the window, golden light spilled in, washing the entire kitchen with its brilliant hue as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon of fields and forests and farmsteads. Edward slid his hands in his pockets, finding that the house was unusually quiet; as he opened his mouth to call Winry's name, joyous laughter echoed through the house, bouncing around the walls and seemingly coming from the direction of her bedroom. A golden eyebrow raised, he walked down the hall to find her door slightly ajar, and he pushed it lightly to peer inside.

“I remember that!” Winry was giggling with her back to him, sitting on her bedroom floor and apparently pointing at something in her lap. Alphonse was leaned up against her bed with the puppies gathered in his lap, smiling brightly as he snickered to himself. Pinako was sitting in the chair from Winry's work desk, chortling along with them. Edward was thoroughly confused, so he pushed the door open all the way and entered the room.

“What's so funny?” The three turned to look at him as he entered the room, Winry in particular looking positively radiant with happiness. As he approached, she suddenly jumped up and ran over to him, shoving something in his face. It was so close for a moment that he had absolutely no idea what it was, so he reached up to take it from her, blushing lightly when his rough hands fell over her soft, smooth ones. Hastily, he grabbed the mystery item and held it at an angle he could appreciate it. “Oh. It's a photo album,” he realized.

“Mhmm! They're all photos from when we were kids!” A small smile formed on his face from the nostalgia, and he walked over to sit beside Alphonse as he perused the contents of the various pages. There was a photo from a day they helped Pinako make an apple pie, and he and Alphonse had gotten in a fight where they threw flour at one another and had made a mess of the house. There was another where Edward had dressed up as a ghost to scare Winry, but instead it just made her laugh hysterically, which made him pretty mad. There was yet another photograph from when they had visited a nearby lake to go swimming.

“Huh? I don't remember this one!” he frowned when ha came across a particular photograph. It featured Winry with a white pillowcase tied around her head, while Edward stood next to her looking extremely irritated. Alphonse was standing on a stump reading from an upside-down book and wearing a top hat. The other residents of the house gathered around him to peer at the photo in question, and Winry lit up with a radiant smile.

“Oh! That's the day we got married!”

“Do _what?”_ Edward shrieked, his voice several octaves higher than normal as he snapped the photograph album shut and whipped around to glare at her in incredulity. Her wide blue eyes gazed at him in confusion.

“Don't you remember, Ed? It went like this…”

_-In the Past-_

Little Edward was squatted down in the yard with a stick in his hand, his golden eyes wide with curiosity as he poked at a slow-moving beetle crawling across the lush green grass. He pouted when it abruptly fluttered its wings and flew off with a buzz, disturbed by the sound of elated laughter and the feverish stomping of footsteps. He stood up, dropping his stick, as Winry and Alphonse came careening around the corner of the house giggling giddily.

“What's all this about?” he blinked.

“Alphonse and I have a great game we can play!” Winry giggled as she stopped in front of him. He blinked in slight confusion as she turned to his brother, who was holding various items in his little arms. Winry grabbed one of them and whirled around with a flourish. “Ta-daaaaaa~” she sang as she pulled a single white pillowcase around her head, draping it over her blonde hair and holding it there while she looked at him expectantly.

“I don't get it.”

“I’m a _bride,_ you idiot!” she shrieked at him, her face reddening, and he cried out as she socked him in the head with her fist. He nursed his head tenderly, glaring at her with his cheeks puffed out defiantly.

“You're a mean bride! Who would wanna marry _you?”_ he snapped at her, and they dissolved to an ugly squabble, trading various insults until Alphonse laughed nervously and physically inserted himself between them.

“Guys, guys, come on! Let's just play the game!” he smiled widely, and the two children glared at one another before turning their backs on each other with haughty huffs. “Now, Edward, you’re gonna be the groom!”

“Do _what_?” he shrieked. Winry giggled and spun around with her makeshift veil while Alphonse scampered behind him and clambered onto a nearby stump and plopped a tall top hat onto his head. It was much too big for him, so he had to hold it up with one hand while he balanced the book on his knee. He cleared his throat dramatically before opening up a book with a sophisticated expression, but Edward thought he just looked dumb because the book was upside-down. As he went to complain about the stupidity of the game, his words were whisked out of his mouth as Winry grabbed him by the air with a girlish giggle and dragged him over to the stump. He slouched in front of his brother, who was blathering some nonsense about marriage rights, while Winry was standing straight up with gleaming eyes like she actually _was_ getting married. “This is so dumb,” he hissed to her under his breath.

“Shut up and pretty to be happy!” she hissed back at him, and the glare she shot him scared his spine as stiff as a board. _This sucks!_

“Do you, Winry Rockbell, take Edward Elric to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Alphonse announced suddenly.

“I do!” Winry beamed brightly.

“Do you, Edward Elric, take Winry Rockbell to be your lawfully wedded wife?” his brother asked solemnly, turning on him next. Winry also turned to face him, her blue eyes sparkling with pure bliss and her cheeks slightly pink as she stared at him hopefully.

“Nah,” he answered without missing a beat, then screamed as Winry snarled and stomped on his foot with all the might her little body possessed. “Yes! Yes! I mean yes, I do! Nehhhhh!” he screeched as he hopped on one foot, cradling the other which undoubtedly contained broken toes. Winry beamed happily and whirled back around to face Alphonse, smacking Edward in the face with her pillowcase veil. Edward, positively fuming, just half-listened while Alphonse continued reciting some half-baked marriage rights before he went as rigid as a wall of stone.

“You may now kiss the bride!” he declared gleefully and snapped the book shut, looking quite pleased with his performance. Winry looked at him, flushing shyly as she nervously wrung the edge of her veil, and she fluttered her eyelashes at him. Edward felt a shudder travel up his spine, and his eyebrows twitched incessantly as he tugged at his collar, which was sticking to his neck due to the cold sweat. _How did I get dragged into this?_ He moped as he edged toward the waiting girl. She had her eyes closed and her lips puckered, looking completely innocent. Edward knew that a devil hid behind that angelic face. _I don't wanna kiss Winry!_

“Come on, brother, or she'll hit you with a wrench this time!” Alphonse hissed down at him. Edward exhaled deeply, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her violence, before clenching his fists tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he jerked forward, lightly kissing Winry on the mouth; then, in the next second, he had jumped back, as red as a tomato, and was wiping off his mouth with disgusted noises.

“Why do you have to act like that, Ed?” Winry pouted as she put her hands on her hips, that light shade of pink still on her chubby cheeks.

“This is the worst game ever!” he shot back. They all glanced up when they heard amused laughter, just in time to see a camera flash. Pinako lowered the camera, chuckling, while Edward went dark red. “Delete that picture! You old haaaaaag!” he wailed and ran for the camera, but the dog thought it was a game and jumped on him, barking happily as he bowled the young child over.

_-In the Present-_

Edward's face had taken on a hue that was some mixture of pink and green after Winry had finished relating the story. “No wonder I don't remember. It's so traumatizing that I _repressed_ it,” he muttered. He cried out as Winry grabbed a nearby wrench and whacked him over the head with it. “Ow! God _damn_ it!”

“Told you she would hit you with a wrench!” Alphonse laughed. Edward just whimpered as he bent over, cradling his bruised head. The rest of the room laughed at his expense, and they were so busy doing that that they didn't notice him blushing darkly.

_Me and Winry married, huh? Alphonse and I are going to be leaving on our trip soon… Maybe… Maybe I should tell her how I feel?_


	33. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Before we get into this round of updates, please take a look at the exciting news I have for you all!   
> • The Cuddle Corner now has an Index feature! Following the foreword, the Index displays the oneshots in this collection and sorts them by fandom. The pairings are also indicated. I hope this makes it easier for you guys to navigate the collection and find what you are looking for!  
> • I’m pleased to announce that the oneshot The First Date has been adapted into a full-length story, Talk About Chemistry! The Rock Lee we all know and love, awkward and dorky, catches the eye of a beautiful cheerleader? It’s a must-read! Please check it out!  
> • Finally, I’m happy to announce that Blue Exorcist has been added to the available request list! It’s one of my all-time favorites, and so I’ve included a special story in this round of updates! Look forward to more from this fandom in the future, and as always, feel free to request stories from me!   
> Thank you all, and happy reading!

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Blue Exorcist

Characters: Juzo Shima and Mamushi Hojo

The inn was all hustle and bustle as Juzo walked briskly down the wooden hallway, weaving around the attendants and exorcists that were scurrying to and fro to tend to the wounded- and there were many. Juzo himself was bleeding from a scratch on his forehead, and he could feel the dried blood thick against the side of his face, but he didn't bother with it. There were plenty of people who needed immediate attention after the desperate battle to subdue the Impure King that had been awakened by the traitorous snake, Saburota Todo. A scowl found his way onto his mouth as he thought of him.

_What kind of man would use a girl like that?_

The girl he was referring to of course was Mamushi Hojo, one of the daughters of the elites in the Kyoto branch of the True Cross Order and Juzo's childhood friend. The demon eater had tricked Mamushi into stealing the eye of the Impure King, insisting that he was revealing corruption within the order that was instigated by the High Priest, Tatsuma Suguro; then, when he had made his use of her, he just cast her aside, bleeding and weak and devastated. Juzo's hands curled into fists as the image of her flashed in his mind, blood running from her now-useless eye and tears streaming from the other. He had delivered the weak girl back to the branch himself while Tatsuma had faced Todo alone, and nearly ended up dead for it. Mamushi had begged forgiveness, and begged the exorcists to save the High Priest whom, just a few hours before, she had believed a vile traitor. Juzo hadn't been able to linger to comfort the distraught girl, as he had been called to battle along with the rest of his family and the visiting team of exorcists.

Now that the battle was over, the first thing on his mind was to see Mamushi.

The further he walked into the complex, the less people there were running about; by the time he arrived at Mamushi's bedroom, he was the only one in sight. He knocked lightly and announced himself before sliding open the panel door, and was shocked to see that she had crawled put of bed to stagger over to the door. She grabbed onto his clothes, her remaining eye wide with fear.

“Tatsuma-?” she gasped, and he could feel her trembling. _She's so afraid._

“The Head Priest is fine. He's getting treatment now,” he reassured her gently, smiling softly as he held her lightly under her elbows to support the weak girl. Her eye widened further, and then she sank to her knees, bawling miserably with relief. Her fingers curled into the thick fabric of his exorcist uniform as she sobbed, with enough force to make him stop slightly, but he didn't mind. He couldn't imagine the emotional pain she had been suffering, just _waiting,_ waiting to see if her actions had led to the death of the Head Priest that she had falsely accused. He kneeled down in front of her, one hand rising to caress her white hair while the other slid around her back to gently pull her into a hug. Rather than yelling at him and calling him a monkey like she normally would, she buried her face into his shoulder, still crying miserably. “Look at you. Such a mess,” he tutted quietly as he leaned his head against hers, holding her gently. _If I ever see Todo again, I’ll kill him._

After about ten minutes, Mamushi's miserable wailing settled into quiet sniffles. When she finally pulled back, both her eyes were puffy and red- one from her crying, and the other from the strain of absorbing the Eye of the Impure King. Juzo gently wiped her lingering tears away with his thumb, which she allowed him to do without contest. _She's awfully passive right now,_ he thought wryly.

“What happened to Todo?” she asked quietly, resting her hands in her lap as she gazed at him with guilt clear in her face- the round, cute face that so often distorted into a haughty sneer or an angry scowl. _I hate seeing her this way more than I hate seeing her angry at me,_ he thought sadly as he sighed and looked away. It was his turn to look guilty.

“We had to let him go. With the Impure King around, we just didn't have the strength to fight him. My guess is, he's miles away from here,” he murmured. _Back to whoever he works for._ It was clear that Todo was acting under orders, but whose orders were they? Juzo had a feeling they would find out soon enough. Mamushi hung her head, her quivering bottom lip indicative of the fact she was once again going to dissolve in bitter tears. Mamushi had never really cried, even when they were young children, and seeing her in such an emotional state unsettled him- and angered him. _Todo has no idea what he's done to her, and he doesn't care, either._ “Mamushi. This isn't your fault,” he told her, and as he went to place a hand on her cheek, she turned away.

“The Head Priest could have died because of me. If I hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened!” she insisted sharply, her slim fingers digging into the fabric of her kimono as she trembled in shame and anger. Juzo could only watch sadly. Regardless of the fact that she had been misled, Mamushi had still acted against the Head Priest and the True Cross Order. After a minute, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Father says that they’re going to revoke my exorcist status, and I may receive more punishment than that… They also say that my eye will never heal,” she murmured, and lifted a hand to her closed eye. It was still smeared with a little of her blood. “I’m a disgrace, and an ugly disgrace at that.”

“Shut up,” he growled immediately, and she looked up at him in mild shock at the anger in his voice. Juzo clenched his teeth as the rage bubbled up inside of him. Who was he angry at? Mamushi, for placing all the blame on herself? Todo, for forcing her into this miserable situation and forcing her to bear all the consequences? Himself, because he couldn't do anything to comfort her and just seemed to be making the situation worse? Probably all three. He took a deep breath to cool his temper, then looked at her firmly. “Sure, you're a disgrace, but I think you’re a beautiful disgrace,” he smiled gently down at her. A faint blush appeared across Mamushi's cheeks, and she edged away from him warily.

“Wh-What are you playing at? You monkey!” she spluttered. _There it is,_ he thought with a small chuckle. Mamushi didn't take well to him finding her reaction amusing, and she lashed out at him, slapping him in the side of the head. It happened to be right where his wound was, and he gritted his teeth and winced as sharp pain blossomed across the side of his skull. When she noticed his pained reaction, she retracted her hand, then gingerly reached out to caress the side of his head where she had struck him. Her slim fingers slipped into his short brown hair, and Juzo kept to himself how damn good it felt. “You're hurt…”

“Eh, it’s just a scratch,” he shrugged, but truth be told, now his head was pulsing with a dull, throbbing pain. Mamushi sat up on her knees in front of him, so that they were now at the same height, and her snake-like eyes stared hard at the gash in the side of his head. “Don't look at me like that,” he sighed, and she flushed again as he placed his hands on her hips. She went rigid beneath his touch, but did not move to retreat; she glanced at him guardedly, but to him, it looked like she was waiting for what he was going to do next. He just held her steady, looking at her with a small smirk on the edges of his mouth.

“… You should go see a doctor, you monkey,” she muttered after a moment, cocking her head to the side as she began rhythmically running her fingers through his hair, creating grooves in the thick brunette strands.

“I’ll go when things settle down a bit. There are plenty of other people who are in more need than me,” he responded levelly. “Speaking of which, you are in no shape to be up and around, Mamushi. You need rest,” he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. She pursed her lips and her almost feral eyes flickered down to meet his, filled with displeasure, but something else, too- something hiding in those golden depths.

“I’ve been ‘resting' for hours,” she retorted with a twitch of her mouth. The silence settled between them, with the only sound being Juzo's hair shifting slightly under the girl's continuous caresses. “… If you hadn't come for me, Juzo, I don’t know what would have happened,” she whispered all of a sudden. Her expression had grown guilt-ridden again, and sad, more sad than he had ever seen her. He smiled sweetly at her, and was mildly pleased with himself as that blush appeared on her cheeks once more.

“Mamushi, I will always come for you when you’re in trouble,” he promised. A little squeak came out of her as she blushed red, and he smiled wider. _For someone who puts up such a front, she really is just a cute girl!_ He thought with a snicker. When he met her eyes again, he could see the apprehension in her golden irises, but excitement, too. He reached up to put a hand on her cheek once more, and this time, she did not turn away, but just gazed down at him with that excited-scared expression. “Always,” he repeated gently.

“You make big promises, you monkey,” she sniffed. He could feel her trembling again, but it wasn't like before; it was an almost imperceptible quiver that he could only perceive by the brush of his hand across her soft cheek. She gasped as Juzo suddenly pulled her close so that their bodies were touching, and her face were a mere inches away from his own; she grabbed onto his shoulders by instinct, while Juzo now had his other hand placed firmly in the small of her back.

“What do you say we stop playing games, Mamushi?” he purred softly, under his breath, so she could only hear. He saw her swallow nervously, her one, beautiful golden eye wide as it gazed shakily into his own playful, calm ones.

“What game?” One of her hands slid around his neck to curl into the ends of his hair, twisting it around her index finger as she frowned at him, as if she were innocent of the implications. _She doesn’t want to admit it out loud._

“The game you're playing,” he answered nonchalantly. She just continued to gaze levelly at him, her cheeks puffed out mildly in defiance, stubbornly resisting the obvious. “If you aren't gonna say it, I’m gonna leave,” he threatened with a smirk, and the firm façade evaporated for a brief moment. Her mouth dropped open in mild shock, but she closed it immediately to clench her teeth in a slight growl. Her gaze slid to the corners of her eyes, unable to meet his alluring gaze as she forced out the words.

“Stay with me,” she mumbled. Juzo cupped a hand to his ear, tilting his head with a grin.

“What was that? I can't hear you.”

“I said stay with me, you deaf monkey!” she snapped, louder, and then she clapped a hand over her mouth as she glanced at the open sliding door, mortified. Juzo was still sitting in the threshold of it, and he chuckled loudly as he relished her cute reaction. “You're cruel,” she frowned at him once she dropped her hand from her mouth, which had reformed that angry little pout that she wore so well. Juzo gently cupped her chin, still smirking.

“Can you blame me? You're so cute when you’re embarrassed,” he teased. As she went to her angry again, he quickly closed the distance between them, covering her mouth with his own. She went as rigid as stone, but after a moment Juzo felt her melt into him, her small hand sliding from his shoulder to his chest while the other continued to curl into his thick hair. Juzo had loved Mamushi for a long time, and he told her that without words as he kissed her passionately but softly for several minutes. When he pulled back, she actually brought her face closer to him again, an almost begging expression on her face. Once she realized what she was doing, she pulled back, pink and pouty.

“Stop teasing me,” she whined as he disentangled himself from her and stood up, putting a hand on the sliding door. She looked up at him with a sad, fearful expression, probably assuming that he was making to leave.

“I don't tease,” he shot back as he pulled the door closed, and she didn't even have time to ask before he had leaned down and kissed her again, running his hand over her beautiful white hair.

_I’ll protect you from now on, Mamushi. I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again… I promise._


	34. A Daring Rescue

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy and Charlotte Smoothie

Requested By: candawg (Fanfiction)

Luffy sat perched on the bulkhead of his ship, swinging his legs back and forth as he held his hat to his head lest it be blown away by the considerable breeze rolling off the gently frothing waves. He softly hummed a tune to himself, enjoying the kiss of salt against his skin and the smell of the sea wafting up his nose. Though he very much enjoyed riveting adventures, sometimes just sitting at the head of his ship enjoying the sea was pretty nice, too. He watched an albatross coast the trade winds above his head, its wings occasionally flapping once before settling back into a steady glide.

“Luffy! Get down here!”

The pirate captain turned his head when he heard his navigator yelling at him, and there she was, standing on the deck of the ship with her hands on her hips. He screwed up his face in disgust, anticipating that the navigator was going to yell at him; however, she held up one of her hands to show that she was holding an envelope. “There's a letter addressed to you!” This definitely garnered his interest, and he hopped down from the bulkhead to stride across the deck and snatch up the letter. “Hey-!” Ignoring her protests, he ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper inside, eyes wide with curiosity.

“It's from Chiffon!” he cried when he read the name written at the bottom of the letter.

“Chiffon?” Sanji gasped from the second level of the deck. He hopped over the railing to land beside him, peering over his shoulder to confirm that the daughter of Big Mom was in fact the sender. “Why would she send a letter to _you_?” Luffy shrugged in response; _he_ certainly didn't know why the woman would send him a letter. Due to the commotion that they were making, the rest of the crew had gathered around, and were all clamoring for him to read the contents aloud.

“All right, all right! Be quiet!” he snapped in irritation before clearing his throat and bringing the letter close to his face to read the swirly, cursive handwriting. “’Dear Straw Hat Luffy,’” he started, “This is Charlotte Chiffon, Lola's twin sister.’” Luffy only vaguely remembered _both_ of the women, truthfully, but he remembered Chiffon more due to her close association with Bege, who he rather liked. “’I am writing to ask for your help. The World Government demanded that Mama give up one of her children as punishment for the trouble that the failed wedding caused. Mama has handed over Smoothie and she is going to be imprisoned in Impel Down. I know this is a lot to ask, but please save Smoothie.’” As he read the letter, a ripple of shocked gasps spread through his crewmates.

“She wants us to save one of Big Mom's pirates?” Brooke frowned, or frowned as much as his old bone face would allow.

“It's more than that! She wants us to save her sister!” Chopper squeaked, waving his little reindeer hooves.

“But she's our enemy! Besides, we need to meet up with Zoro and the others at Wano,” Nami asserted. She had that cross look on her face again, with her hands primly on her hips.

“It’s not Big Mom that's asking, though. It's Chiffon, and she is pretty much why we made it off that island,” Sanji pointed out patiently. Luffy ignored the banter of his crew, arguing that they should or shouldn't save the woman, while he just stared hard at the rest of the letter. _The ship is currently headed for Impel Down. If you turned around now, you could easily intercept the ship. Please, Luffy. You are the only one I can ask to do this. I know that it's wrong of me, after all Big Mom did to Sanji and the rest of you, but Smoothie is my sister, and all of us siblings care very much about her. You’re the strongest pirate I know, and you always do the right thing._

“Quiet!” he barked suddenly, and the angry squabbling around him immediately ceased. A large grin spread across his face, and he snickered quietly as he crushed the letter in his fist. “Nami! Set sail for Impel Down! We're gonna catch that ship and set Smoothie free!” he cried, throwing his hands in the air happily. Though sitting on his ship staring at the sea was always nice, he just _loved_ an adventure. His crew mates looked at him with doubt, but did not openly object; instead, they began scurrying about, adjusting sails and turning the rudder to adjust the course to the infamous pirate prison. Luffy did a spin of glee before hopping back up onto the bulkhead of his ship, watching the waves slap against the front of the ship and throw up glittering white foam. _Look out, Charlotte Smoothie! The Straw Hats are on their way!_

Luffy grew more impatient as the day went on, pacing the deck and letting out annoying, wheedling whines whenever one of his crewmates came close enough to here him. There really wasn't much to do besides wait for the ship to appear on the horizon, and Luffy hated waiting. After hours of this, he climbed back onto his favorite perch with a long sigh, holding up his head in his hands as he stared through lidded eyes at the horizon. The sky was beginning to turn a rich golden color as the sun slowly sank into the sea, and its light splashed over the waves, sparkling like the stars slowly appearing with the inky blackness of night. Bored, he watched the blazing ball of fire slowly sink into the water. Then, he suddenly jumped up with an excited shout, pointing at the sunset. “I see it! I see it!” Sure enough, a black speck had appeared in the yellow sun, and was slowly forming the shadowy silhouette of a ship. “Full speed aheaaaaad!” he crowed, spinning around. He then cried out as he lost his balance and pin-wheeled his arms desperately to keep from plummeting into the ocean.

His crewmates were scrambling around the deck again, this time to coax more speed out of the Thousand Sunny. Luffy hopped down onto the wooden deck, watching the sails unfurl and catch the wind and hearing the ropes scream as they shot through the pulley mechanisms. The tension in the air was high, and he could feel his blood beginning to simmer with the rush of battle. He snickered happily as he looked back at the horizon; the shadowy ship was rapidly growing largely, forming the image of an impressive Navy vessel. It was a much larger ship than the Thousand Sunny, and so it was an easy feat to outrun it. Luffy cried out as the water suddenly exploded beside the ship, indicative that a cannonball had been launched at them. “Whoa!” he cackled happily.

“They're shooting at us! They're shooting at us!” Chopper shrieked as he ran in circles with tears streaming down his furry little face. Carrot was attempting to console him, to no avail.

“We're coming on fast, Luffy! I need you to take care of those cannonballs so I can pull close enough for you and Sanji to be able to reach it!” Nami called down to him from where she was tightly gripping the wheel, holding it steady as they rapidly approached the enemy ship. As she spoke, another cannonball screamed overhead, and he quickly inflated himself to send it rocketing harmlessly back into the sea. The ship was about one hundred yards away now, and he could see little shadowy figures scuttling hither and thither, and hear the disembodied shouts of Navy men drifting on the ocean breeze. Rapidly, the Thousand Sunny closed in on its prey, until the ship was coasting in the wake trail of the formidable ship. The small pirate vessel bounced up and down in the swell, the waves crashing against the hull and sending salty droplets raining down on them. Nami was struggling to hold the wheel steady, her slim arms shaking with the strain. “That's it! I can't get it any closer! It's up to you now!” she called down to them.

“Chopper! Carrot! Brook! You wanna go?” Luffy cried with delight as he hopped up onto the balustrade and prepared to wind up his arm for the throw. Chopper was sitting in a puddle of his own tears and crying, with Carrot kneeling down beside him and patting his little reindeer head. He shook it emphatically at the captain’s prompting. Before the other two could answer, there came a series of angry shouts, and Luffy turned to see that the Navy soldiers were swinging on ropes to bridge the gap between the two boats. “Whoa!” he shouted, ducking down to avoid being decapitated by a saber. The soldier landed on the deck only to find himself at the business end of Brook's sword.

“Go! We'll take care of things here!” he called, and so Luffy did as bid, stretching out his arm to grab ahold of the sizable mast. Holding a hand to his hat, he sprang over the gap, while Sanji used his special technique to bridge the gap with a series of powerful jumps. They landed on the deck of the ship, falling right into a brawl with low-ranking military personnel. It was kind of pitiful, and boring, because he and Sanji had them scattered across the deck groaning and bleeding in a matter of seconds. Luffy grabbed one by the front of his shirt and held him up, shaking him a little.

“Hey! Where's Smoothie?” he demanded. The man, barely conscious, lolled his head and muttered something unintelligible before passing out, much to his disappointment. Luffy dropped him and proceeded to another, who informed him that Smoothie was contained within the bowels of the ship. Luffy wasted no time kicking the doors leading to the lower levels of the ship right off its hinges, sending the reinforcements that were in their way tumbling back down the steps. He plunked down the steps, punching anyone who made the mistake of coming too close, while Sanji took care of any stragglers he had ignored. For a ship that was bearing a daughter of Big Mom, Luffy was disappointed at the level fo security; there was no super-powerful lieutenant or captain to be found- in fact, he had knocked him out upon landing. “This is too easy!” he whined to Sanji as a rather brave soul sprang out from behind a barrel with a loaded rifle.

“Stop whining. Let’s just get Smoothie-" he paused to deliver a swift kick to the man's head and send him crashing through the wall- “before they get out a distress signal.”

“Ooh! You think they’ll call Smoker?” he grinned as he continued merrily strolling along the hallway and down another set of stairs.

“I hope the hell not!” came the irritated refute, and Luffy just puffed out his cheeks. He was in the mood for a _good_ fight. Still, he didn't find one, and reached the brig of the ship with relative ease. The keys, which he had swiped from the jail keeper after relieving him of his consciousness, swung around his index finger as he approached the large cell in which the long-legged woman was contained. She had her eyes closed with her arms crossed, and he was fairly certain that she was asleep; however, as he stopped in front of the bars, her eyes snapped open to stare levelly at him.

“What are you doing here, Straw Hat Luffy?” she inquired calmly. Her silvery hair shone dimly in the dark, settled around her body like some kind of luxurious coat.

“I’m here to rescue you, duh.” Though she kept up her unbothered demeanor, he could see her eyes widen slightly in surprise. “Chiffon asked me to,” he clarified as he inserted the key in the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open. “I don't really care about you either way, but she's a friend, and my friend asked me for help. Simple as that.” He walked into the cell, preparing to unlock the chains that bound her, but Sanji grabbed him by the wrist.

“Hold it, Luffy. How can we trust that she won't hand us over to Big Mom?”

“Couldn't you have brought that up _before_ we stormed the ship?” he whined as he pursed his lips at him. “Besides, you think I’m just gonna let her beat me up and hand me over? Come on, Sanji,” he snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked back over at Smoothie, who was just calmly sitting there, chained to the chair and gazing levelly down at him.

“What do you intend to do with me?” she asked suddenly. Luffy blinked, then cocked his head to the side. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to do with Smoothie once he rescued her. He couldn't just deliver her to Big Mom, because he certainly didn't have the manpower to take the Emperor on again so soon. He didn't have time to take her to another island, because he had already wasted enough time and needed to get underway back to Wano immediately. He sat there for a moment, thinking, then grinned at her.

“Wanna join my crew?”

“Oh, good grief,” Sanji muttered and turned away his a hand over his face, but Luffy thought it was a fantastic idea. What little he had seen of her showed that she was a capable woman, and besides, he didn't have a Long-Leg tribe in his crew yet. She would be a perfect addition.

“No.”

“Aw,” he pouted glumly and tapped his foot as he tried to think of an alternative. “Well, then, I guess you’ll be my hostage,” he decided with equal glee. He had never had a hostage before. It was certainly a very pirate-y thing to do.

“How is that any different from my situation now?” she smirked lightly at him, staring at him in amusement through the one eye not covered by her silvery hair. She had Luffy stumped for a minute.

“Well, for one, the food is better,” he grinned with a look at Sanji, who was giving him an extremely pained expression. “And I’m not gonna lock you in Impel Down. I’ve been there. It's not a very fun place,” he added as he scrunched up his nose, remembering the vile place. Smoothie continued to give him that level stare, gauging his truthfulness, before she dipped her head in a small nod.

“All right. I won't make any attempt to attack you if you release me,” she promised. Luffy grinned in glee and set to unlocking the couple of padlocks on her person, while Sanji was shaking his head and muttering about how asinine the entire thing was. As the chains fell off of her, landing with heavy _thunks_ against the thick wood, Smoothie rubbed her wrists and stretched her arms and legs to relieve the stiffness; then, she stood, stooping over as her head brushed against the short ceiling of the cell. Sanji stiffened, obviously expecting the woman to retaliate, but the woman just looked down at the pirate captain. “Thank you.”

“No problem! Come on, hostage!” Luffy laughed as he chucked the keys aside and strolled out of the cell. A few straggling soldiers attacked them on the way up, but they were relatively unbothered as they made it out onto the deck. Luffy could see the Thousand Sunny still sailing in the wake of the large Navy ship, with a couple of Navy officers swimming in the foamy froth after being thrown off the ship by his crewmates. “Let's get outta here,” he grinned and promptly wound his arm tightly around Smoothie's waist, while he stretched the other to latch onto his ship's mast. When the three of them landed securely on the deck, Nami wrenched the wheel and pulled out of the wake, and the sails caught the wind to bear them speedily away from the Navy ship. Luffy released Smoothie and made to head to his favorite napping spot.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Nami cried, taking the steps two at a time on her way down from the wheel, which was now being managed by Brook. “What are we going to do with her?” she demanded and pointed at the fifteen-foot-tall woman.

“She's my hostage.”

“If she’s your _hostage,_ why don't you lock her up?” Luffy screwed up his face in distaste.

“That isn't very nice, Nami.” The navigator stamped her foot and pulled at her tangerine hair, then exhaled deeply and composed herself. She threw up her arms in defeat, shaking her head as she turned to head back up the stairs to her chart room.

“All right, all right. I’m setting course for Wano. This had better not bite us in the butt later, Luffy!” she called down, and he winced as she slammed the door shut. _Why is she so grumpy?_ He pouted. He strolled back over to the mast and settled himself at the base, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes before settling his arms beside his head. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a pair of feet clad in ornate boots appeared in the thin space beneath the brim of his straw hat, and he looked up to see Smoothie standing over him.

“What? I’m taking a nap.”

“I thought I was your hostage?” she blinked down at him. Though she kept her face as blank as ever, he could see the minute traces of confusion there.

“What do you expect me to do? Lock you up, beat you within an inch of your life?” he snorted. _How dumb._ “Chiffon asked me to rescue you, and I did. Now you’re my hostage and I can treat you however I want, and I don't wanna treat you badly,” he shrugged.

“I didn't ask to be rescued.” Luffy sat up with a sigh and returned his hat to its proper position, confident that he wasn't going to get his nap with the woman's incessant pestering. He crossed his arms, craning his neck to overcome her towering height.

“So what, you were just _okay_ with Big Mom selling you out like that? For such a big, bad Emperor, she sure let the military push her around,” he mocked. Her face flushed a light shade of pink, and he raised an eyebrow as she crouched down so that they were face-to-face.

“Don’t insult Mama like that!” she snapped and jabbed her index finger into his chest. Luffy held his ground, keeping his arms crossed as he glared right back into her eyes.

“I’ll insult her all I want. I don't respect anyone who can just callously give up their family like that!” he retorted hotly. He hadn't really liked the giantess to begin with, considering her treatment of Sanji, but he _definitely_ didn't like her now. He would have died rather than give up Ace to the military- in fact, he had nearly died doing just that. “She doesn't give a damn about you or any of your siblings. She doesn't deserve your respect either!” he asserted firmly. Smoothie's face slowly drained of color, and he was shocked to see her expression actually grow sad. She fell back slightly to sit on the deck, her long legs tucked underneath her and her silvery hair glowing in the moonlight as it framed her hourglass shape.

“She gave me up…” she murmured. _Finally, she's getting it._ He watched her for a minute, and was shocked to see that a thin river of tears was mow running down one of her cheeks. She put up such an emotionless front that he hadn't expected such a reaction from her. _I guess she can feel after all._ He scooted a little closer to her, dipping his head to look at her since her gaze was trained on the boards below.

“Hey. There's no need to cry. You'll have lots of fun as my hostage!” he reassured her brightly. “Sanji makes amazing food, you know. Wait until you meet the rest of my crew, too! They’re all waiting at Wano! We do a lot of cool things together, like seeing who can catch the biggest fish or kill the biggest game so Sanji can make it for dinner! We play a bunch of cool games, too, while we're sailing, and Zoro is always really funny the more alcohol he drinks. We have a running bet to see how much alcohol it takes to get him drunk! So far he can drink five bottle of rum! _Five!”_ he told her ecstatically. “Plus, we make friends everywhere we go! I have a whole armada, you know, with all my friends!” he bragged, sitting back up to gloat. He heard Smoothie giggle a little, and he smiled widely at her when she looked up with a tiny smile. He thought she had a rather nice smile.

“You aren't too bad after all,” she mused.

“Duh! Are you just figuring that out?” he snickered as he rocked back and forth slightly, holding his feet. He had his eyes closed as he laughed, so he didn't see Smoothie leaning forward until her lips gently pressed against his cheek and his eyes snapped open in shock. “Uh,” he blinked as she pulled back, smirking slightly as she stared at him alluringly. He just rubbed his cheek, not quite sure what to do, and smiled bashfully at her. _Her hair looks pretty in the moonlight,_ he thought, though he wasn't sure where that thought came from.

“I think this is going to be a lot of fun,” she chuckled before rising to her towering height and striding away. Luffy leaned forward to watch her climb up the steps to join a very confused Carrot at the helm, and they engaged in avid conversation about Carrot's origins. He watched them for a minute, then snickered to himself and settled himself back down for his nap.

 _I knew this was a good idea. I think this is gonna be a lot of fun, too!_ He thought gleefully, the image of the strange new addition to their ship dancing in his mind with the light of the moon…


	35. A Dog's Day

Category: Friendship Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Akamaru and Kiba Inuzuka

Akamaru flicked his fluffy, white tail lazily as he slowly dragged himself into consciousness, his lupine jaw splitting into a massive yawn as he opened his eyes sleepily. The sunlight was streaming over him, making him feel nice and warm, and his eyelids began to droop once more as the weariness settled back in; however, he knew that his master would likely be awake at this hour, so he forced his massive hound bulk out of his cozy dog bed with another loud yawn. He stepped onto the wooden floor of his human’s bedroom, sliding his front body downward to stretch his stiff back muscles, before straightening up to give his entire fluffy mass a vigorous shake. The tag on his collar jingled like a frantic bell as he did so, ringing in his sensitive ears; those wolfish ears perked straight up as he stood, listening for any sound of his beloved master as he padded over to the bed and hopped onto the padded surface from the ground. He was surprised to find that his human was not in bed like he normally was. His master loved to sleep, and normally it was Akamaru’s job to awaken him from his hibernation with many a lick and nuzzle. He sniffed the pillow curiously, wagging his tail as he found it saturated with his master’s scent.

            Surely, his master must be preparing food if he is awake, he reasoned, so he jumped off the bed and sauntered through the open door out into the hallway, tail swishing the whole time. Akamaru was of appreciable size, standing nearly half as tall as his human, who was an average male as humans go; Akamaru had seen many humans, since his master loved to walk him, and he was always impressed with how his master seemed to dwarf all the other masculine humans in strength and vitality. Akamaru was honestly honored to be his master’s dog, because what greater honor was there than belonging to an obvious alpha? He wagged his tail with happiness just thinking about it, not noticing that it smacked into the walls repeatedly as he did so. He walked purposefully towards the front of the house, where the room where his master prepared food was situated, and sauntered in expecting to find his beloved master standing at the strange contraption that radiated impressive heat- a _stove,_ his master called it- and cooking food. However, Akamaru was disappointed to find that this was _not_ the case, and his owner was not there to greet him with a smile. Ears and tail drooping, he slunk over to his food and water bowl to find them already filled.

            That was certainly strange, as his owner usually waited until Akamaru was awake to do so; he would scratch Akamaru behind the ears and tell him what a good boy he was as he poured the brown, crunchy pellets into the bowl. It was almost a ritual, and the dog looked forward to it every morning. As he dipped his head and began to munch on the pellets, it almost seemed like they tasted bland and unappetizing; still, his master had left them for him, so he ate an appreciable amount and lapped up some of the water before lifting his head, licking his chops as he looked around the empty kitchen. Something was definitely off with his master’s morning routine, and it was up to the dog to investigate.

            The bathroom, of course! His master always cleaned himself in the morning, so naturally, he must be there! Akamaru took off in a run, slipping a little across the slick tile floor, before bounding across the house to the small room where the bathroom was. Akamaru had always found the room strange, with all its mysterious human contraptions to control the water, and after several years he still had not figured them out- except for the bowl-like one, where he pressed the trigger switch to make the water swirl around. He enjoyed that one. He found the door cracked, as his master usually left it so Akamaru could get in and make sure his human did not stumble and fall, and he nosed his way inside with a furiously wagging tail expecting to find his master within. However, like with the kitchen, his human was nowhere to be found; the room was dark, and it was not filled with steam and the sound of rushing water as normal. Whining with concern, Akamaru jumped at the side wall to sniff at the towel hanging from a rack; it was damp, and coated with his master’s scent, indicating that he had indeed been there. Perplexed with the peculiar change in routine, Akamaru wandered out of the room, wracking his mind as he tried to determine the cause.

            Why would his master deviate from normal protocol? The dog couldn’t figure it out. He decided to check the entirety of the house for his owner. Akamaru wandered back into the bedroom, where he wriggled his way under the bed only to find bundles of dust that made him sneeze. He pawed open the door to the closet only to be greeted with his master’s wardrobe. He wandered over to the room where his master cleaned his clothes, and again, found no one; he even walked to the back door and poked his head out of the doggy door, but the grassy yard was only occupied by squirrels and birds. He barked at them to scatter them before dejectedly pulling his head back through the door. His master was clearly not in the house, and so the only logical conclusion was that he had left. That was alarming to Akamaru, because his master never, _ever_ left without walking him first. Tail dragging across the floor as he sadly walked to the front door, he sniffed around and sure enough, his master had come through. As the puzzle slowly clicked together in his mind, he could only come to one conclusion: his master had left him. Miserable, he grabbed one of his master’s shoes gently in his mouth and carried it over to the couch, where he curled up with the shoes tucked in his paws and stared at the door pathetically.

            Why would his master leave him? Had he been abandoned? Surely not. His master loved him, after all, and depended on Akamaru to protect him and the household from dangers like robbers and mailmen. Why, though, would he leave unannounced? Could Akamaru have slept through his master being abducted? He hadn’t smelled anyone else in the house, though. Could humans be clever enough to cover their scents? Was it possible that Akamaru was going to be replaced? Had he been a bad dog? Perhaps he was not doing a proper job of keeping away the squirrels, birds, and neighborhood cats. Oh no, what if his master wanted a cat instead of a dog? As the imaginary situations grew direr by the second, the large dog whimpered and curled up tightly around the shoe, the only lingering connection to his missing master. He could only hope that his owner returned soon.

            At some point, Akamaru fell asleep, likely from the exhaustion of stressing. He jolted awake, however, as soon as he heard the key click in the lock of the front door, and with a single bound he leaped off the couch to land at the threshold. Surely that must be his master returning home! He wagged his tail as he whined loudly, trying to convey his worry, as he waited impatiently for the door to open. As soon as it did, Akamaru jumped up onto his hind legs, pawing at his master’s chest and shoulders as he licked his face happily. It _was_ him! He had come home, safe and sound. His master laughed at him, and it was such a happy sound; so, then, his master wasn’t mad at him after all. Akamaru’s tail whipped back and forth with joy as the human petted him roughly but affectionately, scratching behind his ears and on his neck and back, and Akamaru dropped down to roll onto his belly, begging to be petted there, too. The man willingly obliged, and Akamaru wriggled around happily as he repeated what a good boy he was and how glad he was to be home.

            Akamaru didn’t bother trying to figure out why he had left, and what he had done; his master was home, safe and sound, and clearly loved him. That was enough. He jumped up as his master suddenly grabbed the leash hanging on a nearby hook, and he barked elatedly at the promise of a walk. He was nearly bursting with excitement as his master hooked the leash to his collar, and as soon as it was secure her jumped through the door to take off running down the sidewalk, dragging the man with him.

            It was a wonderful day for a walk, after all!

 


	36. A Present for Nami

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji, Charlotte Chiffon, Charlotte Pudding

Requested By: farrah87 (Ao3)

Sanji exhaled deeply as he paused to glance up at the blazing blue sky above his head and run the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the thin sheen of sweat that had accumulated there. _I hope everyone is hanging in there. We're almost done!_ He hoped as he glanced back down at the deck of the ship, which was bustling with activity as the cooks under Chiffon's command frantically ran hither and thither. In order to appease Big Mom's murderous rage, he had been assisting the twenty-second daughter of the Emperor in baking an exact replica of the wedding cake for the last several hours. They were so close to finishing, but with no news of how the rest of the crew was doing, he was admittedly anxious. _I just have to have faith._

“Sanji!” The Straw Hat pirate turned as his name was abruptly caused, just in time to see the pink-haired, brawny pirate wife tottering toward him. “It's nearly ready! Here! Taste it!” she insisted as she held out a fork with a bit of the sponge iced cake on the end. Sanji did as bid, and as the sweet taste spread over his tongue, he could not help but grin devilishly.

“It's absolutely divine, Chiffon! This cake will stop Big Mom right in her tracks! I guarantee it!” As he smirked triumphantly, the cooks cheered happily, and the crew began scrambling around once more to set course for the island they were meeting the rest of Sanji's crewmates. Sanji approached the towering wedding cake, occasionally barking orders at the cooks who were providing finishing touches to the icing. He could see Pudding hovering off to the side out of the corners of his eyes, staring hard at him. _Cute. Too bad my heart belongs to another woman,_ he thought wryly. The image of the beautiful, tangerine-haired navigator flashed into his mind for a brief moment. He wondered if she was all right. Before his mind could descend into frightening scenarios, he hastily bent his thoughts on the cake. _I can’t worry about her… I have to believe that Luffy will protect her- all of them, but especially her._

“Sanji, I have a question for you!” Chiffon chirped at him suddenly, and he turned once more to face the large woman. “What is Nami's favorite kind of cake?” Sanji had to admit that he was surprised that she would ask so suddenly about the woman, especially when he had just been thinking about her.

“Why would you ask about _her_?” Pudding snapped grumpily. At the mention of the other woman, the caramel-haired baking expert had rushed to Sanji’s side, glaring daggers at the clueless Chiffon. She still kept her distance from him, though, her fingers twitching anxiously as she watched to see how he would react. Sanji smirked lightly and looked back at Bege's wife, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, Chiffon, what’s up with this all of a sudden?” he agreed.

“Nami is Lola's friend, yes? I’ve heard a lot about the good things she did for her,” she explained with a big smile. “So, Nami is my friend too. I just want to bake a small cake for her, to thank her for helping Lola so much.” It sounded like a good enough reason to Sanji, so he pulled out one hand to rub his chin thoughtfully.

“Hmm, I see. Well, Nami loves tangerines, for sure, but she also likes fruits in general. She partial to berries, though- especially strawberries. Those are her favorite. As for cakes, angel food cake is definitely her top choice, but strawberry cake and vanilla cake are close seconds. She prefers whipped frosting over creamy frosting,” he babbled, and as he continued to talk about her, a smile naturally formed onto his face. It had taken a lot of trial and error, and careful observation, to discern what her food preferences were, and he could just see that little smile on her face as she sat bent over her work desk nibbling at some confection or another he had prepared for her. She always hid in her office when he made something just for her, but she left the door cracked to let the sea breeze in, and he would always peer into her room to see her reaction for just a brief moment. She would always bring him the plate when she was done with a simple “thank you,” but when she turned around there would be a flash of happiness on her face that Sanji always managed to catch.

“You like Nami, don't you?” Sanji was snapped out of his fantasizing by Chiffon’s amused question, and he looked back to her to see her smiling knowingly. He could feel Pudding bristling next to him, quaking with rage, but he wasn't going to lie for her sake.

“I don’t just like her. I love her!” he confirmed with a big, happy grin. Sanji really did, though he had played it off all this time- mostly because he knew that his past would eventually catch up to him one day. Now that everything was out in the open, though, why did he have to hide it?

“Sanji, what about me?” Pudding pouted beside him, her face taking on that dark, murderous shadow he had seen many times over the strange roller-coaster ride that was his captivity in Big Mom's empire. He looked down at her, and, not missing a beat, flashed her an alluring smile.

“Oh, but you’re beautiful, Pudding,” he told her smoothly, and she squealed and clapped her hands to her cheeks, gushing over the compliment. _That ought to appease her for the moment,_ he thought with a slight chuckle. Pudding had turned out to be not that bad after all- more than anything, he just felt bad for her. All her life, she had been told she was a three-eyed monster, and a tool. Though Sanji admittedly felt nothing romantic for the girl, he always wanted to make women feel beautiful and worth something, and Pudding was no exception- despite her murderous alter ego. As the girl scampered away to swoon, Sanji looked back at Chiffon. “I love Nami,” he repeated, “but I don't know how she feels about me.” Pudding ceased her loud squealing, perking up at the admission. Obviously she was thinking she had some kind of chance with him, or something.

“You haven't told her yet?” Chiffon asked him with a deep frown, and he shook his head with a small sigh. He glanced over the side of the boat out at the sea, where the waves were writhing, as if mirroring the maelstrom that was their situation, rapidly spiraling out of control. The sea always reminded him of her. In the two years he had been training, in the brief moments of respite he would stand on the shore with his boots off and his pants legs rolled up, ankle-deep in the surf and watching the waves roll in and out; he would wonder where she was, what she was doing, if she was safe. He had thought of her even more while he was prisoner in the vast castle complex of Big Mom. He could tell himself that he felt something for Pudding and would be able to live with marrying her all day, but when night fell and he would lay in his bed, alone with his thoughts, his mind was bent on her. Her smile, her beautiful tangerine hair, her robust confidence and brazen personality- everything he loved about her, and he would regret never telling her, for being such a coward. _I should have said something,_ he would think. _Now it's too late._

Things were different now, though. There was a pretty good chance that he could escape Big Mom's clutches. What would he do now? All his life, he had lived expecting this to be the end, and now his future was uncertain. Chiffon patiently watched him think, then chortled loudly, bringing him back to the present. “Would you like to help me bake the cake for Nami?”

“Of course.” Sanji never missed an excuse to cook something. He glanced over at Pudding, who was mumbling under her breath about winning Sanji or something along those lines. “Pudding? Would you like to join us?”

“Absolutely not! I won't make anything for that woman!” she snapped hotly, her caramel pigtails whipping about as she shook her head wildly. He chuckled at her blatant refusal and shrugged, accompanying Chiffon across the deck. Naturally, Pudding stood there for a few minutes, fuming, before stomping after him. She hovered over his shoulder as he assisted Chiffon, alternating between gushing over his cooking prowess and hissing about the fact that he was making something for another woman. Within half an hour, they had a little two-tier cake, angel food cake with tangerine whipped frosting garnished with a couple of tangerine slices.

“Oh! It’s perfect!” Chiffon cried in elation.

“It isn't anything special,” Pudding retorted with her cheeks puffed out defiantly, her slim arms crossed with displeasure. One of the cooks brought them a box, and they carefully put the cake inside and tied it shut with string.

“Make sure you get this to Nami, Sanji, safe and sound!” Chiffon told him as he took the box and carefully slipped it into one of the pockets on the inside of his coat. It made an obvious bulge, but it was the safest place he could think to keep it in the coming chaos.

“I will, Chiffon,” he assured her. One of the cooks started yelling that the island was in sight, and he walked over to the side of the boat, placing his hands on the wooden railing as he watched it slowly approach. His friends were out there. Nami was out there.

 _I have to deliver this present safely to Nami for Chiffon…_ He glanced over his shoulder at the large woman, who was grinning mischievously at him while Pudding sulked beside her. _Use this present to tell her how you feel,_ she was telling him. Sanji looked back at the swirling ocean, at the island rapidly growing larger on the horizon, at the battle he had yet to fight, at his uncertain future…

_I’m coming, Nami._


	37. Marry Me

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Shikamaru Nara and Female OC

Requested By: littleclip (FanFiction)

This is a promotion piece for my full-length story, _First Comes Hurt, Then Comes Love!_ If you enjoy this story, please check it out!

Shikamaru didn't glance up as Ayumi slid her arms around his neck from behind, propping her chin on his shoulder and her lovely chestnut hair tickling his skin as she peered down at the packet of papers in front of him. She said nothing, only watched him with interest as he placed the finishing touches on a rather irritating mission report, and then turned her face to look at him as he dropped the pen down on the desk and sighed deeply. He leaned back in his chair, tipping his head back as he attempted to chase away the headache pounding in the front of his skull. Ayumi continued to hold him in the slight hug, one of her hands curling into the hair on the back of his neck and teasing it likely. He wasn't sure why she liked to do that, but he wasn’t really complaining, because it sure felt nice. After a moment of attempting to gather his thoughts from his deep-fried brain, he cracked an eye open to look at her through his peripheral vision.

She had dolled up quite a bit. Her beautiful chestnut hair was not wavy and falling down her back as usual, but had been pinned up in an elaborate up-do, held in place by a pair of pins decorated with plastic flowers- daffodils, of course. She had put on make-up, too, a modest amount; she knew how much Shikamaru preferred natural beauty, so she had opted for just foundation and blush, eye shadow and mascara, and some lip gloss. She was wearing a yellow dress- not her usual sundress, but a genuine party dress, complete with a pair of small heels. Though they had been dating for quite a few years now, Ayumi's beauty never ceased to astound him; for a moment, he just gazed at her, completely absorbing everything about her.

“Honey, if you don't get dressed soon, we'll miss our reservation,” she reminded him politely.

“Right, right,” he groaned and ran a hand over his face. “It's date night.” Not that he had entirely forgotten, but he had gotten so caught up in his mission report that he had completely lost track of time. She giggled slightly and leaned in to gently kiss him on the cheek, then straightened up and walked out of his office. Shikamaru couldn't help but watch her as she left, concentrating on her swinging hips. _She's so damn sexy,_ he thought before stiffly rising from his chair to trudge across the hall into the bedroom.

Pulling off his shirt as he walked, he navigated through the stacks of tomes and atlases that have overtaken the room. He knew the path through the books by muscle memory now, and didn't even need to see as he waved through them on his way to his closet. As he pulled off the shirt, he tossed it across the room into the laundry bin; before he could get to work on his pants, he saw his reflection in the mirror, and naturally stopped. His hand rose to the large, pink scar in his lower abdomen, and as he did, he flinched as the ghost of his wound burned terribly. It had been two years since the attack on the Leaf Village, but he still could not help but stop and stare. Ayumi's reflection appeared in the mirror beside him, and her small hand slid over his own, hovering over the scar. Ayumi had her own to bear, small scratches along her arms and other hidden behind her clothing. Both of them still suffered in the wake of that terrible saga.

 _That's over now,_ he reminded himself firmly before pulling himself away from the mirror, striding over to the closet to begin rooting through his clothes. Shikamaru didn't have many; most of the closet was currently occupied by Ayumi's myriad of dresses and the rare pair of pants and matching shirts, but he didn't mind. She kept it neat and organized, so he never had any trouble finding anything. He frowned as he searched for something halfway-decent; they were going somewhere relatively nice, so he didn’t want to show up in his mission gear, especially because Ayumi had spent so much time prettying herself up. The problem was that Shikamaru wasn't exactly _fashion savvy._ After a minute of rifling through his small assortment of garments, he decided on a nice shirt and a pair of slacks, and quickly pulled them on and walked over to her, turning about so she could see. “Well? How do I look?”

“Handsome,” she purred, and when he turned back to face her she walked up to him and stood on her tip-toes, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt to pull him down into a kiss. Sometimes she was still shy, but for the most part she had grown much more comfortable in showing her affection for him. Smirking at her brazenness, he kissed her softly, running his hands slowly down her arms. Their intimate moment was rudely interrupted as a knock on the door echoed through the house, followed by the excited pitter-patter of little feet on the wooden floor.

“Auntie Ino is here!” Shikadai squealed as he darted down the hall, and Shikamaru was slightly sad as his girlfriend pulled away and walked out of the room to greet the woman. It was perfect timing, though, because it gave Shikamaru time to dart over to the bed and pull up the mattress to grab the ring box he had hidden there and slide it into his pants pocket. He heard the women's voices drifting down the hall from the living room, and the giddy laughter of his son and Inojin as they devised what they were going to do for the night, and he paused a moment to once again look at himself in the mirror.

“You got this, Shikamaru,” he mumbled as he uncomfortably pulled at the collar of his shirt. Had it gotten hot in the house? No, he was just nervous as hell. He had already done this once before, with Temari, but somehow he felt like a complete novice in over his head. _You've been planning this for weeks. Don't psych yourself out, or you'll make it a drag,_ he told himself silently, making sure that the pocket sufficiently hid the outline of the box before strolling out to join the women and children, trying to seem nonchalant. “Ready to go?” he asked Ayumi as he stopped beside her, sliding his arm around her waist. She was so beautiful that he couldn't help but touch her constantly; plus, he was trying to chase away his anxiety by focusing on her. It was working, a little.

“Yes! I was just talking to Ino about the daffodils I planted here. They should be blooming any day now!” she beamed up at him. When she had moved in with him, they had transferred her entire garden to his house; her prized daffodils grew along the fence, and next to it was Shikadai's weed patch. Every year she added a little more, and so now his once bland front yard was a colorful menagerie of flowers and shrubs, her haven of growth and joy.

“Have fun, you two,” Ino smiled knowingly, sitting on the couch as the two children were sitting on the rug playing a board game. Shikadai hopped up and ran over to hug his father, wrapping his arms around his legs as he always did. He had grown taller in the last two years, tall enough to bury his face in his father's middle. He smiled down at his son and affectionately stroked his hair.

“Bye, Dad!” he chirped before pulling back to hug Ayumi happily. “Bye, Mom!” With that, he whipped around to plop down beside his friend once more. He could see out of the corners of his eyes that Ayumi's expression swelled with pure joy as she gazed down at the little boy. He had been calling her that for a while now, but she still got emotional about it. Sometimes, after they tucked him in at night, she would break down in happy tears because she was so honored. Shikamaru couldn't blame her; in fact, he was grateful that she took something so trivial so seriously. It showed how much she really loved his son. _Their_ son, really.

After exchanging a few more necessary pleasantries, the couple left the house and strolled down the diet roads of the village. Though it had been two years, the reconstruction effort was still well under way; though it was after hours and no workers were present, for every couple of normal buildings there were those surrounded by scaffolding, in the middle of construction. As they grew closer to the heart of the village, the amount of buildings dwindled compared to the projects in progress, and pretty much every building had signs of repairs- one patch of paint brighter than the rest, a wooden wall that was a different type of construction material, and things of that nature. Every so often they came across a condemned building, smoldered shells that the residents or owners had decided were too damaged to bother with. He could feel his old wound twitching as his gaze swept across the legacy of the monumental war, and see the face of his enemy dancing in the shadows, sneering and smug even though it was dripping with blood.

 _I killed him, but he still won, in a way. We've never been the same since,_ he thought as he looked down at Ayumi, who was walking cheerfully alongside him. He could see from the way her jaw was set and her stiff posture that she was thinking of similar things despite her seemingly happy attitude. They all had nightmares, Ayumi especially. It was at least a few times a month that she awoke screaming and sobbing and screaming his or Shikadai's names, and it always took a while for him to bring her back to reality. At least once a week Shikadai would knock on their door in the middle of the night begging to climb into bed with them. Shikamaru never said anything when he awoke stiff and pale in the night, having dreamed of her death or Temari's, but she always seemed to sense it, and would pull herself out of sleep to whisper soothingly in his ear as she caressed the back of his neck, curling her fingers into her hair like she loved to do. As the gloom began to settle over him, he shoved it away.

 _None of that matters now. We made it through, and we're happy,_ he reminded himself as he looked back down at her. He had to live in the moment now. Smiling softly as he was reminded of how lucky he was, he slipped a hand in hers and laced their fingers together, and she glanced up at him with an equally loving expression. He could feel the ring box in his pocket, its squared shape bumping against his leg with every step. _I want to marry her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her,_ he thought for the thousandth time. That thought was enough for him to forget about everything else.

Shikamaru brought her to the fanciest restaurant in the village, where he had made reservations for the special night. Ayumi was of course unaware of his true plans, and he had played it off as a celebration for her attaining Jonin status. Though she wouldn't be assigned a team since she was still employed as a teacher, she had pursued her ninja training since the incident, intent on growing stronger and stronger so she could better protect her students. She had worked hard, very hard, and she deserved to be treated for that. Besides, it was a great cover story for him.

Shikamaru was pretty relaxed at the beginning, but as the night deepened, the anxiety began to creep into his mind. He tapped his foot incessantly, his hands clenched together in front of his face as he stared hard at some point over Ayumi’s shoulder. _What a drag. Why am I all nervous? It's not like I’ve never proposed to a girl before, and I don’t think she'll say no._ Perhaps it was because he was afraid that he would make a fool of himself. He glanced down at his food, which he had only managed to pick at because his stomach had twisted itself into a nervous knot. The ring box felt heavy now, uncomfortable. _Maybe I should have had a plan. Girls like fancy proposals, right? Maybe I should do it another time, do something flashier,_ he thought with a slight groan, putting his head in his hands.

“Shikamaru? What's the matter?” _Shit._

“Nothing. I just have a headache,” he answered, straightening up with a small, weary smile. It wasn't even a lie. It had crept back into his skull, pounding away like a little man with a hammer, because he was thinking so hard. She blinked at him in concern.

“Do you want to go home? You’ve worked hard today. I don’t mind turning in early,” she offered, but he shook his head.

“Nah. I can manage. You’ve earned tonight. I can stick it out,” he smiled and reached across the table to take her hand, gently rubbing circles into the top of her palm with his thumb. _Don't be such a drag, Shikamaru. Have a spine._

Having a spine was harder than he thought. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, and as they walked out of the restaurant, he was cursing himself for being a complete idiot while Ayumi was cheerfully oblivious.

“That was delicious! Thanks, honey. I enjoyed it!” she smiled at him and turned around to hug him lovingly. He smiled weakly and hugged her back with one arm, the other deep in his pocket and clenched around the ring box. Her chestnut hair tickled his nose, and he inhaled deeply, breathing in that scent of daffodils that she always carried. He loved that smell, and for a moment, he calmed a little bit. He loved falling asleep with her beside him, that scent filling his nose with every breath, and when he walked outside and the breeze carried it over from her little garden… It was the scent of _her_ , and it was like a drug to him. Intoxicated on it, he began sliding the ring box out of his pocket, but when she abruptly pulled away it was like he was splashed with cold water and sobered up. With a pang of panic, he shoved his hand back into his pocket and acted nonchalant, while on the inside he was throttling his subconscious for being such a hopeless coward. “It's a nice night. Why don't we go see Temari?” she suggested suddenly, shocking him out of his mental murder. She was staring up at the night sky, where the stars glittered brightly above alongside the full moon.

“Yeah. I think she’d wanna hear about you making Jonin,” he agreed after a moment of contemplation, and together they set off down the road to the cemetery. It was empty when they arrived, and in silence they walked through the rows of graves until they arrived at the headstone that bore his deceased wife's name. Ayumi, despite being in heels and a nice dress, knelt down on her knees and began chatting animatedly to the cold stone, while Shikamaru looked up at the sky as a cool breeze blew over them.

 _Why is this so hard?_ He asked her. _You hate cowards. How did you ever end up with me?_ He thought with a wry smile. He could almost see her, looking cross and calling him a dumbass.

 _Ask her, you idiot!_ She would yell. She was yelling it at him right now, probably. With a small smile of sad amusement, he looked back down at her, and was struck.

The moonlight was spilling over her, casting her beautiful chestnut hair in silver. Her skin glowed white, and to him she looked like a beautiful angel, glowing with pure goodness and light. His heart stopped dead in his chest as he gawked at her, suddenly reminded at how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to have her. She looked up at him, smiling, and in that smile he saw all the love and happiness a woman could ever have.

Suddenly, he was no longer afraid.

“Ayumi,” he said suddenly. He had expected his heart to be pounding, but it was a steady, calm drum in his chest as he pulled out the ring box and got down on one knee in front of her. Her brown eyes went wide with shock as they landed on the simple black box, and her mouth fell open in silent questioning. “I’m not great at lengthy speeches, so this is kind of a drag…” he admitted shyly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Most guys would go on and on about this and that, but that just isn't my style.” He looked up at her with a small smirk, gazing into her chestnut eyes. “I love you, Ayumi. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that's all I gotta say.” He pulled open the black box to reveal a glittering diamond ring. “Marry me.”

Her gaze flickered downward to rest on the ring, and he could see the breath catch in her chest as she placed a hand over her heart, her mouth still partly open in shock. Tears rose to the corners of her eyes and then spilled down her cheeks in glittering streams, sparkling in the moonlight, and they were still swimming with moisture when she looked back up at him.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she murmured. He went to smile, but all he could do was gasp as she suddenly jumped at him, knocking him over as her mouth smashed against his in a passionate kiss. As he flopped onto his back, Ayumi's arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she lay on top of him, the ring box popped out of his hand.

“Shit!” he cried, forcibly pulling his face from hers, and they both searched frantically through the grass when they realized the ring had fallen out. He exhaled deeply when Ayumi found it, his head flopping back in the cool grass, and she held it out to him with a dark blush. Smirking, he took her hand and slid it onto her ring finger, holding her hand for a moment before bringing it to his mouth and softly kissing her knuckles. Sitting on top of him, she just flushed with happiness, her eyes full of more love than either could them could put into words. His eyes probably looked the same, too.

“How do you think everyone will react when they learn you proposed to me in a cemetery on the grave of your dead wife?” she snickered suddenly, and it was his turn to blush. Groaning, he rubbed the back of his neck. _I should’ve thought this through._ Giggling at his reaction, she leaned down to kiss him lightly on the forehead. “It's okay. I think it's romantic. You wanted Temari to see, right?”

Perhaps on some level he did.

 _Even though you’re gone, you’re still kicking my ass in gear,_ he thought wryly as he glanced past her at the glittering stars. He could feel her smiling down at him. He looked back to Ayumi, reaching up to gently caress her chestnut hair that he loved so much.

“I’m so happy,” he whispered. He didn't even realize that he had uttered it aloud until Ayumi's eyebrows crept up her forehead. Her slightly surprised expression melted into one of pure warmth.

“I’m happy too, Shikamaru,” she sighed and looked down to admire the sparkling ring on her finger. The symbol of their happiness, their devotion, their _love._

 _I’ll love you forever and ever,_ he vowed to her silently. He could say it aloud, but he decided to wait- to say it at the altar, that is. Instead of talking, he moved his hand to the back of her head, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. Bathed in moonlight, the young couple shared in their special moment, their only audience the white moon, the glittering stars, and the soul of the brave young woman that had brought them together…


	38. Some Sound Advice

Category: Friendship Fluff, Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Portgas D. Ace, Sanji, and Nami

Requested By: Scarlett (Ao3)

“Stop playing with your food, dammit! I worked hard to make that!”

Ace jumped slightly as Sanji abruptly stormed out of the kitchen to whack Usopp and Luffy savagely over their heads as punishment for foolishly playing in the wet rice that he had prepared. He blinked in mild confusion as the blonde-haired cook continued to berate them angrily, while the sniper was splayed out on the deck apparently unconscious and Luffy was just rubbing the back of his head with a defiant pout, cheeks puffed out like a child. _Man. Pops doesn't allow that kind of talk… But Luffy just lets his crew knock him around and all that?_ He thought, then smiled slightly. _He really hasn't changed at all…_ he thought in amusement as Luffy and Sanji continued to squabble for a few minutes. When Usopp came to, he yelped pathetically as Sanji abruptly grabbed both of them by the backs of their shirts and dragged them to their feet. “Make yourselves useful and wash the dishes, will you? I have to pack lunches for the desert!” he huffed before whirling about to stomp back into the kitchen.

“I can help you,” Ace called to the young cook, beginning to rise from his position on the deck. He was quite bored, to be honest; he never did well with just sitting around, and he wanted to be useful. He frowned when Sanji turned around and brusquely refused.

“Don't be ridiculous. You’re a guest,” he sniffed at him as he rolled up his sleeves with a small smirk before he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the thin white smoke, before exhaling the foggy substance and smiling at him. “I’m not opposed to people watching me work, though. Besides, you can keep an eye on those loons.” As he shot an irritated glare at his little brother, Ace was once again shocked at how disrespectfully he spoke of his captain. _He really doesn't keep a tight ship, does he?_ He thought with a slightly raised eyebrow as he followed Sanji into the kitchen. Luffy and Usopp were in the corner, mumbling in irritation as they prepared to start the chore assigned to them, and Sanji ignored them as he strolled over to a table that already had various ingredients piled neatly about it. As Ace pulled up a chair, flipped it backwards, and sat down with his chin propped up on the back and his arms hanging down, he watched with interest as Sanji began to expertly arrange the little lunch boxes.

“Wow. You certainly know what you're doing,” Ace whistled, impressed. He jerked back a little when Sanji snatched up a fork, stabbed a sausage, and abruptly thrust it in his face with a big grin, obviously wanting Ace to sample his handiwork. He shrugged, not having any reason not to, and took the fork from him to chomp down on the meat product. His eyebrows shot up his forehead as soon as the spicy sausage landed on his tongue. “Whoa! This is great!” he cried with his mouth full, almost wishing he had refused because he definitely wanted more. Sanji smirked at the praise and resumed what he was doing.

“I just take pride in my work, that's all,” he shrugged nonchalantly, but from the way that he was smirking, Ace could tell that he was pleased. Sanji glanced over in the corner to see what the other boys were doing, then his pleased expression immediately morphed into onto of intense annoyance. “You idiots! That’s the bucket of mop water! Why the hell are you washing the dishes with that?” he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose as he struggled to remain calm. Of course, Luffy and Usopp just snapped back, with Luffy going so far as to stick his tongue out at the bereaved cook. Before Ace could comment, the door to the kitchen was suddenly thrown open with almost enough force to take it off its hinges, making them all fall silent and look in shock at the entrance.

“All of you! There's a storm coming!” Nami cried, striding across the kitchen to grab Usopp and Luffy hy their collars to forcibly drag them back across the room and out the door, barking orders the entire time. Luffy was crowing excitedly, happy that something interesting was finally happening, while Usopp was shaking in his boots and going on about how they were all going to die. When Nami stuck her head back in, tangerine hair swinging wildly, and snapped at Sanji to assist, the cook happily darted out of the room to do her bidding.

“Ace, I need your help with the sails,” she ordered him before vanishing back out the door. _How can be so sure that there's going to be a storm?_ He wondered as he walked out of the kitchen, holding his hat to his head. There wasn't even a breeze, but sure enough, the crew was scrambling about at Nami's beck and call, tying this down and securing this sail and whatnot. He stood there for a moment, staring out at the calm blue sky mirroring the calm blue sea, until Nami screeched at him to get his butt moving. Disgruntled, he obediently went to changing the sails as she asked, climbing easily up the mast to prop himself on the main sail and let it down. By the time the cloth billowed out, catching the light wind produced by the sea, a stain of gray clouds was spreading across the horizon. Ace cried out as a sudden gale ripped across the ship, and if he hadn't grabbed onto the mast, it would have knocked him right down to the deck below. The roiling gray clouds were rapidly eclipsing the natural blue of the sky, and he could see sheets of rain pouring into the writhing waves even at this distance. Occasionally, flashes of white illuminated the dark mass. It was rapidly approaching them.

“Uh, Nami? Those clouds are really close!” he heard Usopp squeal in fright, but Nami was at the wheel, spinning it around to catch the wind. Ace jerked forward, thankfully still holding tightly onto the mast, as the sail caught the fierce wind and sent the ship streaming through the water. The boat rocked violently in the large waves, and a cold rain began to spill down on them as the edge of the storm brushed over them, but then they were surging forward, leaving the maelstrom behind. The crew below erupted into cheers, praising Nami's weather-predicting skills, while Ace just sat up in the sails, staring down at the girl curiously. _How did she know?_

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully, and by the time the sun was at its highest point, they had landed in the desert and were trekking through the dunes with Vivi at the lead. The little reindeer, Chopper, was plodding along ahead of Ace, his little pink tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted heavily in exhaustion.

“It's so hot,” he moped miserably.

“Oh, yes. It can get up to fifty degrees Celsius in the desert. That's why you have to wear plenty of clothing, because sunburn is a very real problem,” Vivi smiled at him over her shoulder. Ace still didn't really understand what was going on in Alabasta, and what Crocodile was up to; not that it was really his concern. He had to find Blackbeard, and so he couldn't concern himself with the goings-on of island countries. Still, he felt bad for the princess, and was glad that his brother was willing to help her. _Bratty as he is, he has a good heart,_ he thought with a smile with a sidelong glance at his brother. He raised his eyebrows as Nami suddenly hit the boy in question over his head.

“Luffy! Stop drinking all your water!” she scolded him angrily as Luffy spit the straw to his water canister out of his mouth and did his signature pout. “The desert is dangerous. Even _you_ could die,” she tutted before continuing onward. Ace trotted across the sand to fall in pace with her, admittedly staring at her with curiosity. He had never met a woman who was so no-nonsense and could easily take charge, especially over a bunch of rowdy men like the Straw Hats- and then there was the business with that storm. He just walked alongside her for a moment, trying to think of something to say, but before he could she suddenly looked up at him with a small smile and friendly eyes.

“So, what's it like seeing Luffy after all this time?”

“Heh. He hasn't changed at all,” he laughed, glancing back at his brother, who was still sulking. “Still, in some ways, he's come a long way. He's certainly a lot stronger than when I last saw him,” he mused before turning back to him. “So how did you fall in with all these clowns?” She looked at him quizzically, and he smiled sheepishly at him. “Oh, come on. I’ve been watching these guys all day. They would definitely fall apart without you!” Truthfully, he was beginning to wonder if Luffy was merely the captain for show, and Nami was actually the mastermind of the pirate crew. The girl blushed pink under his praise.

“Their heads are full of air most of the time, but they get down to business when they need to,” she shrugged with a small smile. He could tell by the look on her face, the way she was gazing off at the desert with her face relaxed in happiness, that she really thought highly of them. _I’m glad Luffy has capable friends like her. It makes me worry less._

“So, how _did_ you know that storm was coming?” he asked her. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It came up out of nowhere, but you knew it was coming well in enough time to get away!” Once more, she blushed, looking a mixture of satisfied and embarrassed.

“I’ve been studying weather patterns and navigation since I was very small. It's just a matter of reading the barometric pressure and wind patterns,” she answered. She made it sound so simple, but it was still like magic to him. He continued to gaze at her in pure reverence, while she just flushed and tried to make light of her talents. As they trekked onward through the desert, they talked animatedly about a lot of things, and by the end of it all Ace was truly impressed by the remarkable girl. She was tough, smart, and resourceful, and he wasn't going to make light of that just because she was a woman; if anything, it was more impressive, because she had a lot to compete with, considering the kind of men that made up the pirate crew.

By the time the sun was setting, they had reached a complex of cliffs and canyons, which would provide them some shelter from the harshness of the desert night. The temperature had already dropped significantly, so much so that Chopper was shivering violently with chattering teeth and attempting to curl himself up into a ball. The managed to scrounge up some dead limbs, and Ace used his powers to get them a nice fire going, which certainly improved matters. Which the raucous pirate crew sat around the roaring flame, snickering and cutting up while Sanji distributed food, Ace stood several yards away, gazing out at the rolling dunes that glowed white under the moonlight with his arms crossed. _I came here looking for Blackbeard… But I haven't heard anything about him. Could it be possible that it's a dead lead?_ He wondered. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the soft crunch of feet on sandy crystals, and he turned to see Sanji standing behind him, holding out a bowl of stew with an oddly unreadable expression on his face.

“Thanks,” Ace said, taking the stew and intending to go back to his quiet contemplation, but to his shock the crew stomped around and planted himself in front of him with his hands on his hips and his cigarette clenched in his teeth. His face was uncomfortably close, and Ace was beginning to get the idea that Sanji was irritated with him for some reason. “Can I help you?” he frowned at him, not one to be intimidated.

“What the hell is your game with Nami?” he demanded hotly. Ace blinked in confusion, not having expected a question about the navigator whom he had befriended.

“I don't follow.”

“Don't play dumb! You’ve been staring at her all day, and getting awful close, yeah?” he hissed angrily, keeping his voice low and glancing up at the girl who was sitting by the fire, oblivious to the confrontation. Ace glanced over his shoulder at her, then back at Sanji, who's face was beginning to turn pink. _What the…? Oh. **Oh.**_ Once he pieced it together in his head, he began to laugh, because frankly, it was a ridiculous accusation. Sanji didn't think it was very funny, though. “Why the hell are you laughing?” he snapped quietly, looking in a panic at the rest of the crew around the fire. They didn't seem very interested in the side confrontation.

“Sanji, I don't like Nami or anything,” he mused once he had finished laughing. Sanji blinked at him in shock, apparently finding that hard to believe. “I just think she's a remarkable woman. I like talking to her. She's pretty sure, but I’m not the type to fall in love in one day,” he smirked before putting a spoonful of the stew in his mouth. “Mm, this is good. You really are a good cook.”

“Thank y- no, wait, wait, wait, so you _don't_ like Nami?” he sputtered, and when Ace shook his head in affirmation, he sighed heavily in relief, his shoulders sagging as he sat down in a sitting position in front of Ace. “Thank goodness.” It was Ace's turn to play interrogator.

“So, you do?” he smirked coyly as he settled down in front of him, looking at him levelly. He had expected Sanji to adamantly deny it, but instead his face lit up with happiness, not unlike a little boy.

“Oh, yes! I love Nami! She's so beautiful and smart and amazing~” he sighed happily. Ace could swear that hearts were dancing in the dashing cook's eyes as he clasped his hands together and held them next to his face, gushing over the pretty navigator.

“You say that a lot, but to me you just look like a hopeless flirt,” he pointed out. Sanji really did flirt a lot, with every woman he saw, so he found it pretty hard to believe that the feelings were exclusively. Sanji glared at him angrily, jaw set in defiance.

“No! I do feel very strongly about Nami!” he insisted. He did _look_ believable. He was staring right into Ace’s eyes, and the man could see a blazing fire in those dark depths. His posture was rigid, too, and his jaw was clenched defiantly. _All right, so you like her._

“So, why don't you tell her?” he asked. Sanji's attitude immediately did a one-eighty. He slumped down sadly, avoiding Ace’s gaze and shifting around uncomfortably. “What? Scared she might refuse you?” he chuckled. He didn't pin Sanji as one to be so easily deterred, but hey, everybody had things that shook them.

“No, not necessarily…” he mumbled. The cook's gaze slid back to the campfire, and he was shocked to find that the man was staring at Luffy now, not Nami.

Ace started laughing again.

“Luffy? Please! That moron has two things on his mind- food, and becoming Pirate King. I don't think he even has enough brains to know what it means to love a woman,” he hooted with laughter. Sanji didn't appreciate being made fun of, and just pouted childishly at him; when he regained himself, Ace sighed slightly and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. “Whatever your reasons are, I don't think you have anything to worry about. There's no need to be jealous. But you know, if you keep quiet about it and she never knows, there's nothing to stop her from falling for somebody else,” he pointed out. Sanji's shoulders hunched miserably and he looked down at his lap, drawing patterns in the sand.

“I know… I just don't want to get her involved in… something bad,” he muttered evasively. Ace didn't push it. Some people had a past that they were afraid of, and he wasn't one to judge about that. If anything, it just showed how deeply the cook actually cared about the woman. “I would never want to put Nami in danger… So I try to seem like I’m just some hopeless flirt. Nami is the one I really care about, though… But every time I think about telling her how I really feel, I think about what could happen,” he groaned. _Whoa. He's really conflicted._

“I’m not one to tell you what to do,” he shrugged, finishing off the stew and setting the bowl aside, glancing up to look at the starry black sky above. “Tell her, don't tell her- that's your choice. But at the end of the days, you’re the one who has to live with regrets and wonder what would’ve happened if you did this or didn't do that,” he explained before looking down at him with a small smile. “Between you and me, though, she's quite fond of you,” he winked, and Sanji went pink. It wasn't a lie, either. The cook had often come up in conversation with the navigator, and she got this certain sparkle in her eyes whenever she talked about him. Even when she seemed to be berating him for his flirtatious nature, she had this hidden smile in her mouth. It was obvious to Ace the she definitely felt more for the cook that she liked to let on.

“Really?” he whispered, leaning forward.

“Really!” Sanji leaned back again, wiggling the cigarette in his teeth as he looked over at Nami again. Ace was amused by the positively giddy expression on his face. _They’re all good guys… I’m glad Luffy found people like them,_ he thought once more. He raised an eyebrow when Sanji suddenly jumped up, grinning widely.

“That's it! Once we save Vivi's country, I’m gonna tell Nami how I really feel! For real, no holding back!” he swore, pulling his cigarette out of his mouth the beam gratefully down at him. “You know, you really aren’t that bad, Ace!”

“What? You’re just figuring that out?” he sputtered, but was smiling widely. Luffy, having finally taken notice of the conversation, began whining at him to come join them by the fire. “All right, all right, I’m coming,” he called and pulled himself to his feet, throwing an arm around Sanji's shoulders before guiding him over to the fire. As he fell in to the raucous conversation, he noticed Sanji sticking closer to Nami more than usual. She didn't seem to mind too much, either.

 _I didn’t mean to be a matchmaker, but… I’m glad for them. I hope it works out,_ he smiled as he lounged against a rock. He was almost sorry he wouldn't be able to stick around and see what happened.

 _I’m on a different path than Luffy. I wonder who will be Pirate King? Him or Pops?_ He thought as he looked at his little brother, who was stomping around the fire doing some rowdy impression or another. _With friends like this, he's got a chance for sure._


	39. What a Beautiful Wedding

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki and Tatsuki Arisawa

Requested By: JJ (Ao3)

Tatsuki awoke with a start as the side door to her hotel room was suddenly thrown open, and she snapped her eyes open just in time to see Orihime, still in her fluffy pink pajamas decorated with white teddy bears, springing from the carpeted floor. She landed on top of Tatsuki, driving all the breath from her body, and she sputtered as the girl's orange-brown hair landed in her mouth. Orihime beamed down at her, giggling brightly.

“Tatsuki! You're getting _married_ today!” she squealed with delight. It took Tatsuki a few minutes to drag herself out of the grogginess of sleep, but when she finally did and processed the girl's excited declaration, a sleepy smile found its way onto her lips.

“I’m getting _married!”_ she cried back and jerked up to wrap her arms around Orihime in a giddy hug, and they both gushed about the glorious situation before Tatsuki scurried out of bed. There was a lot to do, like wake her bridal party. They had rented a hotel near the venue, and all had adjoining rooms, so the girls were strolling through the open side door asking to borrow a hair dryer or wondering what kinds of make-up they should bring so the make-up artist would have more options. Their dresses had been delivered to the dressing room of the venue the previous day, and all they could do was hope that any wrinkles had fallen out throughout the night. As she was buttoning up a shirt, one that she could easily shed to pull on her dress, she raised her head as there was loud knocking at the hotel room door. Chizuru, the only one currently fully dressed, sidled up and opened the door, then began screeching angrily.

“What the hell are you doing? You can't come in here!” she cried as she pushed all her weight against the door, crushing whoever’s arm against the threshold. She heard him angrily shouting, and as he pushed the door open a little she saw a familiar shock of orange hair.

“The hell you mean? Why not?” Ichigo demanded hotly as he attempted to wrestle his way through the entrance, while Tatsuki just blushed and pulled the undone buttons of her blouse together.

“First of all, there are _girls_ dressing in here!”

“This is _Tatsuki's_ room!” he argued back, to which Chizuru just stuck her tongue out at him.

“Obviously we’re all in here, you dope! Besides, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Now scram!” the feisty redhead asserted before body-slamming against the door, and Tatsuki heard her poor fiancé cursing profusely as his arm was trapped between the heavy door and the threshold. It thrashed about for a bit before he managed to wriggle it out, and she smiled slightly as she heard him stomping off angrily. Chizuru turned to her with a huff, tossing her hair haughtily.

“Why are you marrying him again?” Ryo snorted as she came out of the bathroom running a brush through her pin-straight black hair. Tatsuki just smiled warmly and finished buttoning up her shirt, thinking of her excitable fiancé and the wonderful day she had ahead of her.

Once the girls had finished preparing, they headed down to the parking lot- with the bridesmaids taking excessive measures to ensure that they did not stumble across the groom and his groomsmen by accident- and piled into a car to head to the venue about five minutes away. Tatsuki and Ichigo had decided on a popular site, a beautiful park in the middle of the city that featured a gorgeous pond, a pavilion area for hosting receptions and parties, and numerous species of native trees clustered in small groves all throughout the property. It was elegant, but also adventurous, which suited the couple nicely. They wound their way down a curvy paved road; at the end was a simple administrative-looking building that actually served as the place where bridal parties could prepare for the ceremony and a full-service kitchen where caterers could prepare food. The pavilion was not far off, and Tatsuki could see the decorators already hard at work, stringing fairy lights, setting up tables and chairs, and adorning the premises with flowers. She could feel the excitement fluttering inside her like a caged bird, and by the time she and her bridesmaids were walking up to the door to meet her wedding planner, she felt like she was walking on air.

“Miss Arisawa! Well, not for much longer, eh?” the woman chuckled as she greeted Tatsuki with a hug. “Everything is going according to plan! Your make-up artist and hairdresser are already upstairs!”

“Thank you,” Tatsuki smiled before the woman scurried off to the pavilion, barking orders at one of her handymen who was apparently stringing some lights incorrectly. Tatsuki and her friends proceeded into the building and up the stairs to the spacious dressing room on the second floor, where the women who were getting them ready greeted them happily and then ushered Tatsuki to a chair set in front of a mirror so they could immediately get to work. Tatsuki closed her eyes as the make-up artist began to powder her face, and in the darkness danced the image of her husband-to-be. A smile rose to her lips.

“Honey! I need you to keep your face still!” the make-up artist tutted.

“Oh, but she's excited! It's her wedding day, after all!” laughed the hairdresser, who was currently attempting to tackle pulling Orihime's luscious waves of orangey-brown hair into an elaborate up-do. Tatsuki blushed slightly, slightly embarrassed that her excitement was so obvious. _I’m getting married…_ she thought, trying to keep her face relaxed as the woman went about her work. It was so hard, though. Tatsuki was just so unbelievably happy that her lips just seemed to naturally curl upwards. _I’m going to marry the man I love…_

Ichigo had proposed to her nearly a year before, after they had been dating since their final year of high school, about three years. Tatsuki had been Tatsuki, of course- she had gotten flustered, embarrassed, and wound up punching him. She had immediately regretted that, though, and knelt down next to him as he was rubbing his jaw on the ground, and then they had panicked because the ring had fallen out of the box. After scrambling around for a few minutes to find it, they managed to locate the diamond band, and they squabbled a bit before he had finally worked the answer out of her. _“Of course, dumbass!”_ Really, sometimes she wondered why _he_ wanted to marry _her,_ considering how uncouth she was. They butted heads, always have, and maybe that's why they were such a good match for each other.

“Ta-da! What do you think, sweetie?” the make-up artist announced suddenly, making her jump lightly. She opened her eyes, and as her reflection greeted her, she gasped in wonder. She almost couldn't believe that the gorgeous woman sitting across from her was actually herself, and she turned her face slightly this way and that, watching the light play across the highlighter glowing across her cheekbones. A faint blush had been applied to her cheeks, and the area above her eyes fluttered with silvery eyeshadow. Her lips were plump and shiny with gloss.

“Is that me?” she whispered. The girl in the glass mirrored her movements, so surely it must be.

“It's amazing what a little glow-up can do, hmmm?” she giggled, leaning down beside Tatsuki with her hands on her shoulders, before she straightened up to look at her partner. “Are you ready to switch?” The woman grunted in response, several Bobby pins clenched in her teeth as she placed the finishing touches on Orihime's beautiful up-do. Part of her hair was braided and then twisted up into an elaborate bun, and a flower ornament matching the décor outside was pinned in place on the side of her head. The hairdresser doused her in a final shower of hairspray before bouncing over to Tatsuki, spinning her around in the chair with a grin.

“All right, honey, let's make you _dazzle!_ ”

The hairdresser set upon her with glee, attacking the black strands with a curling iron and transforming the straight strands into full ringlets that rolled down her back. She left two large sections uncurled, and then proceeded to braid these and pull them across, forming an elaborate weave that separated the curls from the crown of her head. She straightened out Tatsuki's scruffy bangs and pinned them flat to her head, and as Tatsuki watched the gradual transformation, she was spellbound. A woman was taking shape in the mirror, one of elegance, of beauty- hell, you could even call her a princess- and Tatsuki was absolutely flabbergasted that that princess was _her._ Tatsuki had always taken little effort in her appearance; it was one thing that Ichigo liked about her, that she was “natural,” as he called it- and so the gorgeous image before her was one she had never seen. She hadn't even taken this much effort into their first date, all those years ago. Even as the hairdresser finished, gushing about her handiwork, her chattering was far away to the stunned bride.

_I wonder what Ichigo will think?_

Tatsuki sat patiently as the duo worked on her bridesmaids, and as they waited they all engaged in nostalgic conversation, laughing over things they had all done over the years, especially stupid things her fiancé had done, gushing over how excited they had been when Tatsuki had first starting dating him, and things of that nature. Occasionally the artists would flutter about in a panic when one of the girls had begun to cry, with Orihime being the prime culprit; strangely, no tears came to Tatsuki’s eyes. She was never really that emotional, after all, but it did mildly shock her. This was the most exciting day of her life, and yet she didn't even feel her eyes mist up. She was happy, sure, but it wasn’t the bursting bubble of elation she had anticipated.

Instead, she was beginning to grow nervous.

The hour of the wedding was approaching, and once their hair and make-up was done it was time to get into the dresses. Tatsuki had chosen sky blue as her color for the wedding, and so her bridesmaids drew all wearing identical dresses of that shade, sleeveless satin gowns with flowing skirts with simple bows around the waist. Tatsuki's wedding dress was far more elaborate, naturally; it was sleeveless as well, but the skirt was a one-and-a-half, with a short skirt framed by a shell of ruffled silk that fell around the sides and backs of her legs. The back of the skirt featured a stream of sky blue that wrapped into a sash around her waist, and the top was corset-like, with blue silk ribbons making up the back the front was smooth white fabric. Tatsuki’s veil featured a band with fabric flowers, the same as the one pinned in Orihime's hair, with sheer pattern-less fabric. She stood with her back to the mirror as Michiru expertly laced the back, while the other girls stood in front of her in a quiet hush, as if they were in awe; Tatsuki felt her place the veil into her hair, and Orihime began to cry again, but it was different than the emotional blubbering; she was staring at Tatsuki like she had never seen anything more sublime in her life, like she was staring at an angel.

“Tatsuki,” she whispered, “you are so _beautiful.”_ Tatsuki turned to the mirror, desperate to see for herself, and none of her other reflections compared to the one she saw there. It was like she was staring at a stranger, a beautiful goddess who bore resemblance to her. _That's… me?_ She just couldn't believe it. She lifted a hand, gently brushing her fingers across her cheek, and the reflection did the same. It was her, indeed. Tatsuki had only worn dresses a few times in her life, a and none of them were anywhere close to the elegance of the wedding dress. She stared, stared into that glass pane where that strange, beautiful woman stood.

_What will Ichigo think?_

That thought was on the forefront of her mind now. It was all just so _different,_ and that unsettled her. Doubts began to creep into her mind. _What if he doesn't like it?_ She couldn't dwell on the fact for very long, though, because an attendant came in to announce that it was nearly time. Tatsuki internally panicked. Surely, that much time couldn't have passed, right? It was all so much, so fast. Numb, while her bridesmaids were squealing with happiness as they walked down to the first floor to meet the groomsmen, she just walked robotically down the steps and took her place at the rear. Orihime handed her a bouquet before standing beside her, holding the train of her dress, as was her duty as her Maid of Honor. She felt her hands wrapping tightly around the flower stems. Suddenly it felt as if the corset was too tight, and should could not breath. Tatsuki had no father to give her away, so she stood there, alone, watching as the pairs of the bridal party exited the door one by one. Then it was her turn. She could hear the music drifting in from the open door, where a white carpet covered in blue flower petals lay waiting for her. Yet she could not walk forward.

“Tatsuki? What's the matter?” Orihime whispered to her. “You're not getting second thoughts, are you?” she gasped.

“No… Not like that,” she admitted quietly. It was just she and Orihime, her best friend in all the world, the one who understood her in ways Ichigo never could. “It's just… What if he thinks I look foolish?” Saying it aloud, she knew it was dumb of her, but she couldn't help it. It was just so different that it felt wrong. She expected Orihime to laugh at her and tell her she worried too much, but when Tatsuki looked back at her, she was smiling softly.

“Ichigo would never think something like that, Tatsuki. He loves you, after all.” Tatsuki's eyes widened slightly as she gazed at her with the utmost confidence swimming in her soft brown eyes. _Yes. He loves me._ At once, it felt like all the muscles in her body relaxed, and she could breathe again. She nodded to her before turning back, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply before striding confidently out the door. As she felt the warm spring breeze kiss her face, she opened her eyes once more, and was momentarily overwhelmed by the transformation the pavilion had undergone.

It was filled with tables and chairs, with white tablecloths and vases of baby blue flowers with appropriate accompaniments. On a large table to the left was the buffet line for their reception; on the right, a three-tier wedding cake, with little figurines of a bride and an orange-haired groom at the top. Next to that was the groom's cake, which Tatsuki had styled in a dojo, a memorial to how they had met. Next to the pavilion, the altar had been assembled, and this is where the white carpet led. On either side were fold-out chairs strung with sheer fabric and fairy lights and flowers, filled with their wedding guests. Tatsuki’s mother was in the front row, a handkerchief held to her nose; on the other side, Ichigo's father sat beaming at her. Beyond that stood her love, her rock, her soulmate.

She had never seen a bigger smile on Ichigo's face.

Their gazes were locked together as she walked up the thin carpet, and she kept staring at him even as she stopped beneath the altar, a white metal arch twisted with more flowers, fairy lights, and silk sheets. One either side of them stood their best friends. Orihime was already crying again as she settled out Tatsuki's train behind her and scurried to join the other girls. Even as the chaplain began talking, all she could do was gaze up at him, her face mildly flushed as a question burned in her throat.

_What do you think, Ichigo?_

It was like he read her mind.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered as he looked down at her, and the way he looked at her made her heart stop beating. The expression on his face was nothing short of pure love. _I’m beautiful,_ she echoed in her own mind. _I’m beautiful._

It was then that Tatsuki felt the tears appear in her eyes, and one of them rolled down her cheek. She didn't even care if her make-up smeared; she was just so _happy_ , damn it. All the doubt that had built up inside of her washed away with that tear, and she smiled happily. At that moment, for the first time that day, she felt like the gorgeous woman she had seen in the mirror.

 _I love this man,_ she thought, too choked up to speak. He seemed to get what she was trying to say, though, and tuned into the chaplain, who was well into the marriage rights. Tatsuki turned her attention to the eloquent droning of the holy man as well, but out of the corners of her eyes, she continued to gaze at the man who she loved most in the world, and who made her feel like the most sublime creature on earth with how deeply he loved her.


	40. You and I Part II

Category: Friendship Fluff, Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Tatsuki Arisawa, Orihime Inoue

Requested By: JJ (Ao3)

Tatsuki’s eyebrows slowly crept further and further up her forehead as she walked down the hallway, truly perplexed. Though people normally kept their distance from the volatile, moody championship fighter, the other students were especially wary of her today, avoiding her gaze and shuffling towards the walls or into classroom as she strolled by. In addition, she could hear fervent whispering start up behind her, and some brave souls would do so before she even passed, throwing fervent glances in her direction. Though it was a bit irritating, she decided to ignore the student body's strange behavior and just continued marching on down the hallway. She was too tired to think about confronting them. She had barely slept all night, because she just couldn't stop thinking about the way Ichigo had kissed her. It had been so effortless for him, but Tatsuki's mind was a mess. What would happen now?

As she pushed the door to the classroom open and walked in, all the conversation in the room halted completely, and a dozen startled, surprised eyes flickered in her direction before hastily looking elsewhere. The girl felt her mouth tighten in displeasure as they averted their eyes. _What the hell is going on?_

“Orihime!” she barked, spotting her energetic best friend in the crowd of mute students. Surely _she_ would know why everyone was acting so shifty today. Tatsuki hurried over to her desk, throwing her bag on top of it before hopping over the metal bar to slide smoothly into the chair and frown at her friend, who was sitting at her usual seat beside her. The girl jumped at her sudden appearance, as she had been too absorbed reading a romance manga to notice what was occurring in the classroom, then smiled when she realized it was indeed Tatsuki. She snapped the book shut with a cheery expression.

“Morning, Tastuki!” she chirped, then began to blather about her morning.

“Orihime, wait, wait!” she interrupted. She normally let Orihime chatter, but she had to get the bottom of this strange behavior, and she was too tired to suffer through the meaningless blabber. “Do you know why everyone is acting so weird toward me today?” Orihime stared at her with a blank expression, obviously clueless, then looked around the classroom. Her mouth curled into a frown when she observed the shifty stares and whispers directed at the martial arts practitioner.

“Huh… Everyone is acting weird today. Why don't we just ask?” she suggested happily, and while Tatsuki spluttered protests and grabbed onto the girl's arm as she stood up, Orihime loudly announced, “Hey, everyone, what are you all talking about?” Once more, the classroom went so silent that she could probably hear a cricket chirping, and for a few moments the students hesitantly kept their mouths clamped shut, avoiding looking at the girl. _What the hell?_ She thought in frustration, about to snap angrily at them. Then, abruptly, one of then meekly spoke up.

“Is it true that you and Ichigo are dating, Tatsuki?” Her face instantly blazed a fiery red, and she sat in stunned silence. _How could they have found out about what happened? Did someone see? Did Ichigo go running his mouth?_ She thought wildly, unable to cope with the many eyes now directed on her. She almost wished that they would go back to avoiding her. The stares were much worse. She ducked her head, gritting her teeth as she tried to stay calm.

“Why would you ask something like that?” she asked evasively. She wished that she would stop blushing like she was. How could she pay it off when her body was betraying her? _I can lie my way out of this…_

“A couple of the student council members saw you two kiss from the second-floor window.” _Damn, that's hard to play off,_ she thought with a small groan. She sank down into her seat, still blushing that apple-red color and trying desperately to get her neurons to fire, but all she could think about was that _damn_ kiss and how good it felt, and the evolving nature of her and Ichigo's relationship. Were they dating? Were they not? And Orihime! How could she kiss Ichigo when she knew how much Orihime loved him? Riddled with guilt and embarrassment, she glanced out of the corners of her eyes at the girl, who was just looking at her with an expression of both shock and hurt. Before she could say anything about anything, though, the room went quiet again.

This time, it was because Ichigo entered.

“What the hell is everybody actin' so funny for today?” he muttered, his normally angry-looking face looking even more so than usual. He had that signature look, lazy with his bag slung over his shoulder with his other hand slid into his pocket. _Did that always make him look so… sexy?_ She thought absently, then mentally scolded herself for such lewdness. She slipped further down into her desk, mortified at the events of the morning, and looked away from Ichigo lest she betray herself. Of course, he came right over to her. “Hey, Tatsuki.”

“Hey, Ichigo,” she mumbled. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, but she didn't even have to. Just the sound of his voice sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Despite her misgivings, she peered at him out of her peripheral vision, and the butterflies multiplied tenfold when she realized how impossibly handsome he was, standing there smiling softly at her. _Oh my God._ “How is your arm?” she asked, trying to change the subject. He glanced down at the bandages wound around his upper arm.

“Oh, it's all right,” he shrugged. She should have known better than to ask, because he always played off injuries. He could have an arm cut off and he would merely call it a scratch. He looked back to her, and she found herself electrified by the seriousness in his expression. She knew what he was going to ask. Half of her wanted him to, and half of him didn't- but he totally did. “I want you to go out with me tonight.”

The breath that the classroom had been holding was suddenly released in a series of shocked gasps. Though Tatsuki wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment, she managed to keep looking up at him, her face like a wildfire. _Me and Ichigo? Go out?_ She felt this strange mixture of nausea and excitement. “I’ll pick you up at six, okay?” he grinned when she did not answer, and he just walked away like it was nothing, while Tatsuki was left short-circuiting like a toaster in a bathtub.

The rest of the day passed like a blur. If you asked her, she couldn't recall what she learned or did. Her mind kept traveling back to the kiss the day before, or Ichigo standing over her with that sweet smile asking her out on a date, or wild fantasies of what such a thing could entail. By the time lunchtime rolled around, her anxiety had mounted, because she didn't know what to expect and Orihime had not spoken to her the entire day. She managed to corner the girl at the lunch table, sitting with the rest of their friends, and she was positively breathless as she ran over to the table and slammed her metal lunch tray down onto the table with a loud _clang!_

“Orihime! I’m so sorry!” she cried and bowed her head. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, though tears did not flow because Tatsuki was much too proud. Quivering, she waited for her friend to reply. Orihime was kind, but would she be able to forgive her for something so terrible? She couldn't bring herself to look up and meet her eyes, to see the anger and hurt there. She stiffened when Orihime just chuckled lightly, and she gasped when a pair of slim arms wound their way around her and sweet-smelling, orange-brown hair fell into her face.

“Oh, Tatsuki. You don't have to apologize,” she sighed. Tastuki could feel the wetness of tears against Orihime's cheeks as she hugged her tightly. Was she crying because she was lying, or because she was upset that Tatsuki would even think that she was angry? The girl didn't know, but Tatsuki really didn't care. She was too busy being relieved. The girl pulled back, and Tatsuki finally found the courage to look up at her. She was smiling cheerfully like she always did, but tears were streaming down her cheeks. “I’m so happy for you,” she laughed brightly. A small smile found its way onto Tatsuki’s mouth.

“Thanks, Orihime.”

“All right! Now that all the drama is out of the way, sit down and tell us how this happened!” Chizuru cried impatiently, and so Tatsuki did as bid, explaining the situation to the girls while she ate her lunch. They were all floored that Ichigo would have a crush on her, of all people, but were also squealing at how romantic the entire thing was. At the end of the story, though, Tatsuki had to address the elephant in the room.

“You guys! What the hell am I supposed to do for this date?” she cried as she slammed her fists down on the table with enough force to make the empty trays jump. “I’ve never been on a date before! I don't know what to expect!”

“Why don't we all meet at your house to get you ready for your date, Tatsuki?” Michiru suggested happily.

“Yeah! We'll help you pick out what to wear, and do your make-up!” Orihime laughed, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands with elation. The entire thing sounded God-awful to Tatsuki; everyone knew that she was a tomboy and wanted nothing to do with such girly things. _But that's the proper thing to do on a date, right?_ Reluctantly, she agreed to the get-together, which, at the very least, made her friends happy.

 _I’m not sure that this will turn out well,_ she fretted as the girls cheered and chattered excitedly about various ways to doll Tatsuki up. The rest of the day went on with Tatsuki stressing endlessly about all the uncertainties and unknowns of such a thing as a date. She walked home alone, as all the girls wanted to go home to retrieve their “supplies,” so she was left to her frantic thoughts. She arrived home and immediately got in the shower, only because the girls had insisted that her long hair needed to be washed and blow-dried. Part of her missed the short, scruffy style she had possess for most of her life, but she had grown it out to its current length merely because Orihime had mildly insisted upon it, since she had grown out her own over the last year and a half. Sometimes Tatsuki's mind wandered to all the weird things she had seen from the pair, but she trusted them enough to know that one day, one or both of them would tell her everything, and so that trust was enough to keep her from prying about it.

Just as Tatsuki was finishing blow-drying her black hair, the girls had all trickled in, and were currently seated on her wood-paneled floor ogling over the various goodies they had brought to contribute to Tatsuki's transformation. Tatsuki gasped as her chair was whipped around as soon as she set the blow-dryer down, and was met with the round, excited face of Michiru. Tatsuki paled slightly when she noticed the girl was holding a case of foundation.

“You are _not_ putting that stuff on m- Pppphhh! Hey!” she exclaimed as Michiru began slathering her face in the make-up. She squirmed under the assault, hating the feel of the thick powder against her skin, and Michiru kept squeaking at her to stay still. In rapid succession, Tatsuki had to endure applications of blush, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, and lipstick. Ryo snapped a pair of fake earrings onto her unpierced ears, while Orihime strung a necklace around her neck. As if she wasn't already extremely uncomfortable, Michiru procured a summer-green dress and a pair of light brown flats. Screeching objections, Tatsuki jumped up and tried to climb out her window, but Ryo and Chizuru wrestled her back while Michiru and Orihime stripped her down and forced her into the sundress. “I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this,” she muttered as she stood in the center of the room, arms crossed and expression thunderous, while the girls circled around her, ooh-ing and aah-ing.

“Tatsuki! You look so beautiful!” Orihime cooed, standing in front of her with eyes sparkling with happiness. That put a small smile on her face, at least. She glanced up at the clock and gasped.

“Oh, my gosh! It's almost six!” she cried, instantly going in panic mode. She flitted about the room, trying to regain her cool, but she just couldn't. How was she supposed to act? How could she, or Ichigo for that matter, take herself seriously dressed like this? How was she supposed to _act_? Her friends threw random tips and instructions at her, but Tatsuki absorbed none of it. When she heard the knocking at the door, she screamed that she had to go to the bathroom, but when she didn't come back after a moment, the girls barged in and found her trying to climb out of _that_ window. Exasperated and giddy, her friends forced her to the front door and watched avidly as she attempted to steel her nerve and opened the door. “H-Hi,” she stammered, looking down at her feet. Dammit, she was blushing again. She felt ridiculous, because she looked ridiculous.

“Hey,” came that smooth reply. Somehow, she forced herself to look up, and he was wearing that smug, confident smirk of his as he looked down at her. He was wearing some slacks and a button-up shirt, and to be honest, he looked really nice. _He cleans up a lot nicer than I do,_ she moped. “You look nice,” he smiled down at her, but she knew it was more for her benefit than anything. She could hear the girls whispering around the corner as she stepped out onto the threshold, and when she closed the door, everything fell into tense silence.

“Um… You look nice, too,” she mumbled shyly. The smile that brought to his face made her heart flutter. She was relieved to see that there was a trace of bashfulness in his expression, as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away shyly with a gratuitous remark. Together, they awkwardly set off down the sidewalk, Tatsuki nervously shuffling along in her flats trying to keep up with his long stride. They just walked along in silence, not even able to muster up small talk, but this was mostly on Tatsuki; Ichigo was spacey, staring off into the sky and thinking hard about something. _He does that a lot,_ she thought with a small smile. His mind just loved to wander on walks. He had always been that way. She often thought about asking what he was thinking about, but she liked looking at the quiet, contemplative look on his face. So just watched him- that is, until he suddenly turned to look at her and caught her staring. She jumped and hurriedly turned her face away, blushing dark red, and hoped he wouldn't comment. Of course, he did.

“Do I got somethin' on my face or somethin'?” he asked, and when she didn't answer, he planted himself in front of her and leaned over with his hands on his hips. “Yo. I’m talking to you,” he huffed. Tatsuki squeaked, bristling at how close his face was.

“N-no. I just happened to look at you when you looked at me,” she muttered back, still avoiding his gaze.

“You're acting weird.”

“I am not!” she protested hotly, and in her anger, glanced up at him. When their gazes met, she became locked in his eyes, that intense, accusatory glare. _He can see right through me,_ she realized in despair. No lies or excuses would be able to sway him. After a minute of staring intently back, her shoulders slumped in defeat and she pouted slightly, looking away with a slightly twitching eyes. She _hated_ have to admit to him that she was nervous. “I've just never done this before, you know? I dunno how I need to act. All of this is so sudden. We were friends two days ago, and now I don't know what we are anymore. It all makes my head hurt,” she sighed quietly. She expected Ichigo to laugh or make fun of her, but he just gave her that sweet smile and placed his large hand on top of her head, ruffling her messy hair slightly.

“Lookit you, getting’ all shy,” he teased. Tatsuki just continued to moodily pout, not appreciating that he was treating her like some kind of child. Looking to the side, she could see him still smiling out of her peripheral vision. _How can he be so calm about all of this?_ “Tatsuki, I just want you to be yourself,” he said suddenly. Struck, she just continued staring around at that certain crack in the sidewalk. It looked pretty deep. It had a little bedraggled weed growing out of it. She felt like a bedraggled weed, struggling to grow in the hazardous environment of a new relationship. She stiffened as she felt his hand slide around her jaw, but allowed him to turn her face so that she was now looking at him. Was she still blushing? Probably. She just felt numb, so in shock that she couldn't feel much of anything. He was still smiling at her. _He has a really sweet smile._ “Would ya relax already?” he chuckled softly. “Though, I like that cute little expression you have. All worried and shy. And you’re so cute when you're blushing.” That was enough to pull Tatsuki out of her dump stupor.

“I’m not cute.”

“Sure ya are,” he grinned at her, ruffling her hair some more and bringing his face closer. She set her jaw, blushing further, but she couldn't deny that his fingers tousling her hair felt pretty good. Her mouth twitched as he sneered playfully at her _,_ but she could see real affection there, too. His sneer then relaxed into a smile, and the level of kindness and love that was swimming in his eyes made her heart go to thumping. “Really, Tatsuki. This doesn't change anything. I just want you to be yourself,” he repeated. “Don’t get too in your head.”

“Just be myself…?” she echoed. It certainly didn't seem too hard. She could feel her tense muscles relaxing as she gazed deep into his eyes, slowly allowing herself to relax. _Just don't get too in my head. Yeah. This doesn't change anything. Ichigo is still Ichigo, and I’m still me._ A smile slowly found its way onto her face.

“There. Ya finally got it through your thick skull,” he laughed and knocked lightly on her forehead before straightening up. Tatsuki rubbed her forehead where he had touched her, still mildly pink.

“Thanks, Ichigo.”

“Yeah, no problem. Now, can we get going? I’m hungry!” he sighed and turned around, placing his hands behind his head and beginning to walk. _He really doesn't act any different,_ she thought in amusement. As she scurried to catch up to him, he suddenly lowered one hand and grabbed hers, still staring straight on ahead with his other hand held up behind his head. She blinked, surprised by the sudden affectionate action, but found that she really wasn't as embarrassed as she thought she would be. It felt like her hand fit perfectly within his own. Suddenly, she found that she wasn't nervous, but excited. Maybe she didn't know how to act, but that was okay.

_I just have to be myself… Because that’s what he likes about me, right?_

_You and I… I’m scared, but I’m excited, too._


	41. A Bond of Trust

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Nami and Mokey. D. Luffy

Requested by: snow3bunny (Ao3)

“Nami! Wait! What about heading to Zou?” Sanji shouted after her as Nami strode steadfastly through the battle-torn streets of Dressrosa. The various factions of the Straw Hat Pirates and their ally Trafalgar Law had certainly made a mess of things in their efforts to escape Doflamingo and Admiral Fujitora. Buildings were reduced to crumbling stone and bent metal, overturned carts and abandoned goods littered the sandy streets, and here and there a lingering civilian stared wide-eyed at the carnage, having nowhere to escape the bitter war that had suddenly erupted in their home. Everything the Straw Hats had known about the ruthless pirate leader was a lie; he had been playing them like a fiddle the entire time, and they were now ensnared in whatever trap he had set for them, wiggling like flies trapped in a spider's web. “Nami! Wait up- ow, damn it!” Sanji cursed as he tripped over a large section of concrete, fumbling around it in his feverish pursuit of the navigator. Nami had no interest in heading to Zou on the Thousand Sunny; the others could handle it. Now, her captain needed her.

“Luffy is in trouble! This operation is a monumental failure, and if we don't get ourselves together we're gonna end up _dead!”_ she snapped at him over her shoulder, vaulting herself over a rather large section of collapsed wall and landing in the sandy road with a huff before continuing on her way. She had no idea where she was going, really; she had no idea where Luffy was, or what he was doing now. It was illogical for her to have abandoned the ship as she did and stomp off into the battlefield looking for him. Something had _possessed_ her, though. As the plan had unraveled around them, she felt this overwhelming _need_ to rush to his side. Nami was not strong, she knew that; she barely held a candle to the powerful men she sailed with. Still, she knew she could do _something_ to be of use, _something_ to help her captain in the battle to come… More than anything, though, she just _had_ to know that he was safe. She continued plodding along, her Climatact clutched tightly in her hand, and her mind was so bent on finding the captain that she was not aware of the danger around her.

“Nami! Look out!” Sanji shouted, but she could barely hear him over the sound of rumbling earth and creaking stone. Shadow fell over her, and she whipped around to find in horror that the building beside her had sustained heavy damage and was currently collapsing, with an entire side wall groaning and falling right in her direction. Sanji immediately moved to jump up and destroy the wall with a well-delivered kick, but was unable to do so as a neighboring building succumbed to the stress and sent him scurrying in the opposite direction to avoid being crushed himself. With a shriek, she whirled about and made a mad dash for the edge of the shadow, unable to hear anything but the blood roaring in her ears and the crashing of glass and rock. _I’m not gonna make it!_ She thought, and threw herself on the ground covering her head, praying that somehow she escaped unscathed.

Suddenly, the sounds of the crumbling building were replaced by the unmistakable roar of rushing flames, and Nami peered out of her fingers to see the bright red and gold flare of fire blast over her head and rocket into the wall. The heat was so intense that it practically seared her skin as the wall exploded, sending bits of glass and rubble raining down on her. She cried out and covered her head once more, the debris slicing through the skin on her arms and legs, but that was certainly preferable to being squished flat. Once the earth stopped shaking, she sat up and looked to the ruined building, which was now just a pile of rocks and dust with a few lingering flames flickering about. _What was that? It was almost as if… No, but he’s dead!_ She thought wildly, and whirled about when she heard footsteps crunching on glass and gravel, presumably her rescuer.

“Phew! That was a close one. Good thing I came along, huh?” the stranger grinned at her, the bright pink scar on his face stretching as he smiled. His wavy blonde hair was partially concealed by a large black hat with a pair of goggles resting on the brim, and the black cloak he was wearing fluttered slightly in the breeze. _He looks like Luffy and Ace,_ she thought in mild delirium, struck. “I think I’m getting used to these new powers.”

“Nami! Are you okay?” she heard Sanji shouting from a distance away, and she turned to see him clambering over the rubble, slipping and sliding through the loose stone that had formed a wall between them and prevented her rescue. Once he was safely on the sandy ground, he trotted over to her, looking at the stranger warily. “Thanks for your help, but who are you?” The young man opened his mouth to answer, but went stiff as a girl's angry shriek drifted out from a nearby alleyway.

“Sabo! You can’t just run off like that! We've got a job to do, ya know?” the girl snapped as she stomped out of the alley. She wore a hat too, a puffy one, and her hair was a blondish-gold color that curled upward at the ends; her pretty features were disfigured in a scowl, and she stalked over to the man and promptly whacked him in the back of the head.

“Ow… Koala… I saw this girl was in trouble! Don't hit me!” he whined, and as he pouted Nami thought that he resembled her captain even more.

“Nami!” The navigator turned back to the entrance of the alleyway to find, to her surprise, Robin strolling out of it, apparently accompanying the two strangers. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you on the Thousand Sunny?”

“Robin? You know these two? Oh! That must mean you're part of Luffy's crew too!” Sabo grinned cheekily.

“Wait! You know Luffy?” Sanji gasped, raising his golden eyebrows.

“Yeah! I’m his big brother! Well, his _other_ big brother, besides Ace,” he cackled and put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. _Wow, now everything makes sense,_ Nami thought begrudgingly. Her eye twitched in annoyance at the ridiculousness of the situation; somehow, she had stumbled upon another member of Luffy's family that none of them knew about who had somehow acquired the late Ace's powers. After a minute of absorbing the information, it clicked in her mind.

“Wait! If you have the Flame Flame Fruit powers, that means Luffy lost in the Coliseum!”

“Eh, not exactly. Luffy went to go tend to Doflamingo, and I fought in his place. I’m the only one in the world he would be okay with having Ace's powers, after all,” Sabo mused. Nami breathed a small sigh of relief, glad that her captain was not lying on a stretcher somewhere, or worse, beaten to the brink of death. Still, it was only a small measure; he was still fending off against a Warlord of the Sea, after all, and the limited encounters she had with the chaotic man had proved he was ruthless and borderline insane.

“So… You don't know where he is now?” she asked with a small sigh. _Back to square one, it seems._ Sabo shook his head sadly, then slid his hand into his pockets.

“Ah! I’ve been rude. We haven't had proper introductions. I’m Sabo, and this is my partner, Koala,” he told them with a cheeky grin.

“Hiya!” the girl chirped with a giggle.

“I’m Nami, Luffy's navigator, and this is Sanji, our cook,” she explained. “We came looking for him. Everything's gone south… Our crew is all split up on and off the island, and Luffy is going to need some back-up.” Sabo nodded knowingly, then smiled at her.

“It does me good to see Luffy has good friends that are worried about him! I don't know where he is now, but we know where he's gonna be- Doflamingo's palace… But, you know, he may not want you to come after him, Nami,” he pointed out. “Doflamingo is a pretty dangerous dude, and if he’s the Luffy I remember, he's gonna wanna take him down one-on-one.” Nami's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. He was right, of course; even if she showed up, Luffy would just tell her to find somewhere safe to hide until it was all over. _Still… I… I have to know if he's safe. I have to see him,_ she thought resolutely, and tightened her grip on her weapon.

“I don’t care! I’m gonna find him, and he can tell me himself if he wants me to go!” she snorted haughtily. The others blinked at her in surprise, especially Sanji and Robin; they knew she was steadfast, but she was also the most logical of their merry band of fools and it was unlike her to do something so glaringly reckless. Before anyone could say anything else, however, the air around them suddenly echoed with the voice of the man they were all looking for, in some way or another.

“Hello, citizens of Dressrosa, Coliseum contestants, and Straw Hat Pirates,” the flamboyant man cackled in the sky. Nami whirled around, looking at the roofs of buildings to try and discern where it was coming from, but he was nowhere to be found; no doubt, he must be using some kind of special ability to project his voice throughout the kingdom. “A certain someone has entered this little kingdom of mine, whom I have a little offer for… Some of you know her _very_ well,” he chortled, and the crazed yet calm tone of his voice deeply unsettled Nami. _I don't like this!_ “I know you can hear me, Nami.” The orange-haired girl stiffened, her eyes locked on the blazing blue sky where the man’s voice danced. “I have a little… Proposition. Come to my palace in Dressrosa and turn yourself over to me. Be _my_ navigator… and _my_ woman. In exchange, I will leave the rest of the Straw Hats in peace, and I’ll even leave Dressrosa and allow the kingdom to be free…” Her heart hammered in her throat like a war drum, pulsing with the sound of his smug words, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles glared white. “I think that's pretty fair, considering how much you all have caused trouble for me. You have one hour. If you refuse, then I’ll proceed to slaughter each and every one of your friends, and then I’ll come for you.” He then laughed cruelly for a minute, his maniacal giggled bouncing through the war-torn ruins of his kingdom, before the air fell silent. Nami could not tear her gaze from the sky, and she imagined him staring down at her, watching with amusement as she reeled with the heavy decision she had to make.

“That bastard! I’m gonna rearrange his face!” Sanji fumed and stamped his foot, sending crackers rippling through the street in his ire. He whirled on Nami, batting his eyes. “I’ll protect you from that evil man, Nami! Don't you worry!” For once, she ignored his flirtatious promises. She was too busy trembling.

 _I have to turn myself over?_ She thought wildly. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, and as she placed a hand over her chest she stumbled backwards. Her legs turned to jelly, and Sanji caught her as she fell backwards, easing her down into a sitting position on the ground. _I have to turn myself over, or he'll kill everyone else?_ She had faith in them, sure, but look at how much had gone wrong so far… They were scattered throughout the kingdom, facing off against Doflamingo's dangerous lackeys, and hadn't even managed to _reach_ the Warlord. Who knew what was happening now? Her crewmates could be lying somewhere, bleeding and helpless, and Nami was the only thing that kept Doflamingo from giving the kill order. She knew what he wanted- the same thing Arlong had wanted, her impeccable navigating skills, but he also wanted something of a more nefarious nature. If Nami accepted, she would be a prisoner again, but her sentence would be much worse this time.

If she refused, her friends would die.

“I have to go to the palace.” Sanji, who had been kneeling next to her, jumped to his feet.

“You aren't going to give yourself up, are you, Nami? Don't let him get in your head! He might not even do what he says!” he objected.

“Maybe I can work out another deal,” she offered weakly. Even as she said it, she did not herself believe it to be true; Doflamingo was not likely the type to be bargained with. Still, she knew for a fact that he was a man to carry out his threats, and she just had to pray that he did the same with his promises. She rose from the dust, her resolve bringing breath back to her lungs, but Sabo stepped in front of her.

“Whoa, Sanji's right. You can't trust Doflamingo. Besides, it's not over yet! Luffy could still be-"

“We don't even know where Luffy _is!”_ she screeched with much more volume and anger than she meant to. The fear and anxiety had taken control of her now. She hugged the Climatact to her chest, as if that would disguise her violently quaking body. “Don't you see? Everything is falling apart,” she whispered. Her friends were scattered to the wind. Doflamingo had the upper hand. He had the army, he had the power, he even had the Marines behind him. They had a chance, but it was a fool's chance, and it was now gone. They had tried their best. Now, it was up to Nami to keep them from being utterly destroyed. “If there’s a chance I can save everyone… If there's a chance I can save Luffy… I have to go.”

“Nami…” Sanji frowned at her, but was seemingly no longer in a mood to argue with her. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerve, and went to set off down the road again until she heard another voice echoing through the sky.

This time, it was her captain’s voice.

“Namiiiiiii! Can you hear me?” he shouted. Unlike Doflamingo's voice, which seemed to be everywhere at once, she could distinctly hear his voice coming from the direction of the palace. “You don't come near this palace, ya hear? You are _my_ navigator! Ain't no way in hell I’m gonna let a snake like Doflamingo have you!” As he addressed her, she felt her heart swell with happiness, and her bottom lip quivered as tears flooded her eyes. “Just trust me, okay? I’m gonna kick his ass! Ya hear that, Doflamingo? _I’m gonna kick your ass!_ I’m gonna kick it _twice_ as hard now! Just you wait!” His voice abruptly vanished, as he had probably riled himself up and stormed off to do just as he had asserted. Nami, left in the streets below, bowed her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

 _Trust you, huh? Okay… I will, Luffy… I will…_ She reached up with a hand to wipe her cheeks, trying to collect herself, and looked up when she felt a hand on the top of her head. She glanced up, expecting it to be Sanji, but it was actually Sabo.

“Don’t worry! We'll keep you safe! After all, somebody's gotta protect Luffy's girlfriend!” he snickered. She went pink, going stiff as a board.

“Eh? I’m not his girlfriend!” she cried, making Sabo blink in confusion.

“You're not? But he made this huge deal about you, and you made such a huge deal about him.”

“We’re friends! Good friends! That’s it!” she asserted and turned away so they could not see her bright red face. _Jeez. Me and Luffy? Talk about asinine,_ she thought as she ground her teeth. Still, she could not help but think of the way her heart had warmed as he proclaimed that he would fight for her. _Luffy… I believe in you._

_I trust you, Luffy… I’ll stay safe, just like you asked. Just promise me that you'll come back safe to us… to me._


	42. The Fated Reunion

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Shanks

Requested By: Scarlet (Ao3)

Nami gasped as the Thousand Sunny abruptly heaved, and she was thrown from her bed in her navigator’s quarters in a tangle of sheets. Fumbling in the dark as she attempted to disentangle herself from her bedsheets and stagger over the door, she could hear the drumming of the rain against the wooden ship, and the sloshing of the waves against the wooden hull; she twisted the doorknob, and the was all it took for the wild wind whirling outside to wrench it open, nearly throwing it off its hinged and sending Nami tumbling onto her behind in the room. Rain sprayed across the dry wooden boards and soaked into the pretty rugs she had purchased for her humble home, and the papers on her desk went swirling through the air as the wind whisked them about. She crawled across the floor, unable to stand under the force of the gale, and pulled herself to her feet using the balustrade of the ship. As the lightning flashed overhead, it illuminated the sky above swirling with thick black clouds and the sea below frothing with foam as the waves writhed. The sails snapped in the wind, wrenched from their holdings in several places by its sharp fingers, and water was sloshing all over the deck as it spilled over the banisters. She moved to scream for the rest of the crew, but the words were ripped from her as the boat heaved again and she went sliding across the slick wood, landing roughly against the other side of the boat. If she had been fully standing, she no doubt would have gone overboard.

“What's goin- Whoa! What a storm!” Luffy cried as he stormed out from below decks, holding his hat to his head as the wind tried desperately to carry it away. He dipped his head back down to yell into the bowels of the ship and rouse his crew before hopping over the banister and landing next to Nami. “Nami! How are we gonna get outta here?”

“I’m working on it!” she grunted, pulling herself up once more to peer off into the horizon. It was dark, and hard to tell where the edge of the storm was; as she was attempted to calculate their escape, the boat tipped precariously once more, and she and Luffy went flailing head-over-heels towards the opposite side. Nami once again landed securely against the thick wood, but Luffy had been standing upright, sending him careening over the edge. She felt her heart stop when she heard the splash below, and without even thinking she vaulted herself over the side of the boat to dive into the water. It felt like knives pricking her skin as she met the cold water, but she swam through it nonetheless, grabbing her captain by the front of his shirt to drag him back up to the surface. He was impossibly heavy, and with the waves constantly swelling above her, she was afraid she would not make it; just as her lungs had begun to burn, her head broke the surface, and she sucked in as much air as she could before she focused on getting his head above the water. He coughed and hacked, still stubbornly holding onto his hat.

“This isn't good,” he frowned as they floundered alongside the Thousand Sunny. Nami groped at the side of the boat, trying to find a hold, then screamed as a wave crashed down upon them and pushed them back beneath the surface. She fought her way back with Luffy in tow, and when her tangerine head popped above the water she was alarmed to find that the ship was now several yards away, and the current of the swells were carrying them further away by the minute. She tried screaming for her crewmates, but the wind tore the words from her throat, filling it instead with the bitter salt water. All she could do was helplessly cling to Luffy as the rocking ship grew rapidly farther away, and they were carried into the storm and into the night…

When Nami awoke, she thought for a moment that she may be dead. She was lying on her back on a beach, the gentle waves playfully lapping at her feet while the hot sand warmed her chilled body. The sky above her was brilliantly blue, the only remainder of the violent storm fluffy white clouds moseying along peacefully. The sun was bright, spilling its rays over the near-drowned navigator. However, she knew she was not dead from the pulsing in her muscles and the dryness in her throat. She blinked a few times, trying to find the will to sit herself up, and gradually became aware of the fact that she was not alone. She turned her head to see Luffy sprawled out beside her, and her arm was slung over his chest with her fingers still tightly clutching the fabric of his shirt. She instantly panicked, afraid that he might not have made it, but was quickly cooled by the cold flush of relief when she saw the rise and fall of his chest. _His sleeping habit nearly gave me a heart attack!_ She thought with a slight groan, and she finally forced herself to sit up. It hurt, as her muscles were stiff from a night being soaked in cold seawater and fighting the fierce waves.

“Luffy. Wake up,” she said as she leaned down to shake his shoulders. Her voice was hoarse from her raw throat, likely from swallowing a healthy amount of saltwater. She coughed, trying to clear her throat, and her voice was much stronger when she repeated the statement. He groaned as she shook him, and lazily swatted at her hand.

“I don't wanna,” he muttered and rolled onto his side. _At the very least, he's not hurt,_ she thought wryly before wrenching him back over and shaking him more violently. “Okay! Okay! I’m up! Leave me alone!” he cried and bolted upright, glaring at her grumpily. He was none to happy to be woken up from his nap. After a minute, his drowsiness was gone and he hopped to his feet to look out at the ocean. “Whoa! The storm carried us to this island, huh? I wonder if the Thousand Sunny can find us,” he snickered. _As always, joyful despite the completely hopeless situation,_ she thought and rolled her eyes. Luffy whirled on his heel, throwing sand as he marched up the beach. “C'mon, Nami, let's go find some food! I’m _starving!”_ Nami could argue that they needed to try to signal their comrades somehow, but she knew that once he had food on his mind there was going to be no stopping him until he was satiated, so instead she got up and marched after him. The island was covered in a dense jungle, no doubt containing some sort of beast or another that Luffy would grapple with, and she groaned.

“Man, this sucks,” she muttered as she plunged into the green with her captain. Luffy flitted about like a little bird, poking sticks into bushes and holes and overturning rocks to see what sort of critters were about. Nami was looking for more practical things, like berries and nuts, and wasn't really paying attention to him. As she walked along the path, eyes swiveling about, she gasped lightly as she bumped into his back. Luffy had planted himself right in front of her, and was staring resolutely into the jungle with his hands coiled into fists. “Luffy…?”

“There’s someone with a really strong Haki headed this way. Just stay behind me.” Nami’s heart rate accelerated, not only from the threat of danger, but the idea that he was so intent on protecting her. Nervously, she peered over his shoulder, listening to the rustling of bushes and snapping of twigs that was rapidly approaching. Luffy went stiff, and she unconsciously grabbed onto his arm, as the stranger stepped out into the open. It was a red-haired man, with three parallel scars across his face and one of his arms missing. “Shanks!” Luffy gasped in shock. **_This_** _is Red-Haired Shanks?_ Nami thought, raising her eyebrows at the equally surprised pirate lord.

“Luffy? What are you doing here?”

“What are _you_ doing here?” he shot back, ignoring his question completely and pointing an accusing finger at him. “I’ve been sailing all over the Grand Line, and you’re holed up on some hole-in-the-wall island? What gives?” he whined, obviously disappointed that the man he looked up to was not out on the seas plundering and making even more of a name for himself. Shanks laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking as he regarded Luffy happily.

“I’m too old for all that tomfoolery. I prefer to just sit and watch as the younger kids go at it. Speaking of which, I’ve heard you've amassed yourself quite a bounty,” he mused, dark eyes glittering with happiness and pride. Luffy snickered and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Nami could feel his body shaking, and she realized with a small gasp that she was still clinging to him. She hastily let go and scurried out from behind him, bringing herself to Shanks' attention. “Oh? Who is this?”

“This is my navigator, Nami! We got swept off our ship during a storm and wound up here,” he grinned and grabbed her around the shoulders to pull her close to him. Nami blushed, suddenly put on the spot, and waved sheepishly at Luffy's idol.

“That so? Well, it looks like you've had a rough time of it, haven't you? You still haven't lost your magnet for trouble, Luffy!” he chuckled before turning around and waving for them to follow. “Come on. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“ _Fooooood!”_ Luffy crowed and threw his hands in the air, then dove into the underbrush after the pirate captain. Nami hurried after them, clambering through the knee-high grasses and bushes and brambles. Shanks and Luffy were embroiled in fervent conversation about his adventures, and his laughter echoed through the empty forest. She had to smile despite their circumstances. _He seems so happy._ She had never seen such a bright smile on his face; it was practically blinding, and his eyes sparkled with joy as he conversed with the legendary man. Suddenly, the jungle fell away to reveal a large clearing, which was stuffed to capacity with brawny men gathered around a roaring fire, over which a large boat was roasting. Luffy's mouth dropped to the loamy forest floor when he saw the meat, and he squealed with delight, catching the attention of all the pirates gathered around.

“Look sharp, lads, I brought ya a present!” Shanks chortled, and all the men erupted into shouts and cheers when they realized just who was standing there. Nami hung back as Luffy was bombarded by the men he knew from childhood, and they clapped him on the back and dragged him into the center of the campsite to shower him in affection and ale. Nami watched with a warm smile, but part of her felt in pain. _I feel… Out of place._ She didn't know these men, or this part of Luffy's life, and that slightly hurt, though she didn't know why. She watched with a bittersweet feeling as they gushed over the up-and-coming pirate captain, until suddenly Luffy shouted at them all to be quiet.

“I wanna introduce you to my navigator! Nami, come here!” he smiled and beckoned her over, and her cheeks took on a pink haze as he suddenly addressed her. Shyly, she walked over to the pirate crew and introduced herself while Luffy sang her praises. It made her feel nice, to be appreciated, but also that Luffy was including her.

The day deepened, the sun traveling across the sky, and the two Straw Hats settled into Shanks' crew, listening to Luffy relate his various adventures. Of course, when lunchtime came, Luffy fell onto the meat with gusto, and they became more enamored with how much food he could put away. Nami watched in amusement from a log, nibbling at her own, much more human-sized piece of meat. She glanced up as Shanks suddenly stretched out beside her with a long sigh, a tankard of ale in his hand and a smile on his face as he watched Luffy interacting with his men.

“So, how did you and Luffy meet? More importantly, how'd he rope in a smart girl like you?”

“Right, he hasn't told _that_ particular story yet,” she mused. “It's kind of a long story.”

“Well, time is something I happen to have in abundance,” he smirked up at her. “Come on, tell me, I wanna know!” Listening to him childishly plead with her, she could tell where Luffy had acquired some of his quirks. She slipped down from the log to settle into the soft grass, getting herself comfortable.

“Well, it all started with Captain Buggy.”

“Whoa! You guys tangled with Buggy? Man, me and him go _way_ back!” he interrupted with a stupid grin. “Sorry, it's just a name I haven’t heard in a while. We were apprentices on a ship together! We got into all sorts of trouble together!” Nami giggled, amused by his enthusiasm.

“That's all right.” She told him about her first encounter with Luffy, how they had defeated Buggy together and moved on to recruit Sanji and Usopp. By the time she got around to her abandoning them at the Baratie to head back to Arlong, the crew had become aware that she was telling the tale and gathered around to listen. Luffy was still stuffing his face. She became a little self-conscious with the large audience, but continued nonetheless. She proceeded on, telling them of her servitude to Arlong and his ruthless hold on her village, and how Luffy and the others had fought valiantly to free her and her village. “After that, I just couldn't let him go, now could I?” she chuckled. “I knew he was going to get into all sorts of trouble, and he needed a good navigator to steer him in the right direction!”

“And a damn good navigator she is!” Luffy suddenly crowed, and his foot came down on the log right between herself and Shanks. She had been so involved in the story that she had not noticed he had stopped eating, finally, and had circled around to sit behind them and listen. “Nami's a lifesaver! Ya know, she’s the one who fixes my hat when it gets torn,” he beamed as he pulled it off and flipped it in his hands.

“Oh! So you're Luffy's girlfriend?” Shanks grinned, and she short-circuited for a second, bright red and sputtering.

“No! Why the hell would you ask something like that?”

“Well, that’s something a girlfriend would do.”

“That’s something _anyone_ would do!” she shot back and crossed her arms, fuming and embarrassed. It didn't help that everyone in the clearing started laughing, even Luffy, who probably didn't even get what was going on.

“Hehe, Luffy, Nami sure is cute,” Shanks mused.

“Yeah, I guess she is,” he responded nonchalantly and plopped his hat back on his head, and while Nami’s heart stopped and all the blood rushed to her face, he looked around with a frown. “Is there any more food?”

After another hour or so, one of the scouts Shanks had posted around came to report that a ship was nearing the island. Luffy and Nami reasoned that it was their crew finally coming to collect them, and bade their farewells to their host and his merry companions. Shanks accompanied them to the beach, and Luffy suddenly stopped and pulled off his hat to hold it out to him. “You said the next time we met that I could return this.” Nami stared at him in shock, completely floored that he would so willingly give up his prized possession; Shanks was equally shocked, and stared at the hat for a moment before smiling warmly.

“No. It's not time for that yet, Luffy,” he asserted. Luffy blinked in confusion, but obediently replaced the hat back on top of his head. Shanks looked him up and down for a moment, then smiled warmly and plopped his hand on top of his head. “You've really grown strong, Luffy.”

“Hehe!” he grinned cheekily. “I’m gonna get even stronger, until I’m the King of the Pirates!” He then looked to Nami beside him. “Though, I'm only as strong as I am because of all my friends! Right, Nami!”

“Mhmm!” she nodded encouragingly, then blinked when Shanks gave her the same treatment, ruffling her tangerine hair.

“You take care of Luffy now, you hear?” Nami nodded vigorously. Luffy was a handful, but she felt up to the task. They both turned when they heard Sanji shouting at them over the crashing of the waves. They had pulled out the rowboat to come claim them, since there was no dock of any kind. “Well, there's your cue. Next time, Luffy, I hope I can meet your whole crew!” he smiled to his young protégé.

“Me too! You'll really like ‘em!” he snickered. Shanks gave them a dip of his head before whirling about, his black cloak billowing in the sea breeze as he plunged back into the jungle. As he vanished, Luffy's shoulders slumped slightly. “Man… I was hoping that Shanks could meet everybody. I’ve been looking forward to seeing him again for so long, and I didn't even give the hat back,” he moped.

“You’ll see each other again! Next time, you'll be Pirate King!” she told him encouragingly, and he turned to grin at her.

“Hehe! You're right, Nami!” he smiled and then whipped about to shout at Sanji. “Row faster, slow poke! I’m hungry!” Nami chuckled as Sanji yelled back some curse. _Well, I guess everything turned out all right after all,_ she thought as she gazed out at the glittering waves and the ship beyond. It was the ship that bore them all toward the future, to grand adventures laced with triumphs and struggles, to things unknown. Though it was frightening, it was exciting, too. She looked out of the corner of her eyes at Luffy, who was waving and grinning.

 _I can face a lot of things now, thanks to you. You make me brave. You make me strong…_ she thought with a small smile.

_I’m not scared of the future, because I know you'll be by my side…_


	43. War-Torn

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Nami and Shanks

Requested By: Lee03na

Nami clutched her Climatact tightly in her hand as she peered over the concrete edge of the platform, her hazel eyes wide as they swept over the utter carnage that had erupted at the site the Marines had chosen for Portgas D. Ace's televised execution. Pirate crews of Whitebeard's alliance clashed feverishly with the Marine soldiers, and the iron stench of blood mingled with blood-curdling screams in the air. Nami's hands quivered slightly as the fear took hold of her, and she considered scurrying back to her little boat and sailing all the way back to Weatheria where she had come from. _No,_ she asserted, stilling her shaking body as she steeled her nerve. _Luffy is in there! I have to help him!_

After they had been separated on the Shabody Archipelago, Nami had landed on an island far away, a little settlement called Weatheria that studied weather patterns, much like herself. She had learned of Ace's impending execution via the newspapers, and knew that once Luffy caught wind of it, he would storm in for the rescue. Nami knew not if he was alone or had acquired himself some allies; she only knew that he was here, somewhere in the war-torn pavilion- and he likely needed Nami's help. With a grunt, she vaulted herself over the edge of the concrete and dove into the fray.

Most of the pirates and Marines were too busy grappling with each other to notice the petite navigator picking her way through the battle. She skirted her way through the skirmishes, stepping over the bodies strewn about as she craned her head, searching for her captain's signature straw hat. There was so much activity, the flashing of steel against steel, explosions from cannonballs and the sound of gunfire, yells and screams and writhing bodies, that it was difficult for Nami to make sense of it all. Truthfully, there was little chance she would find him at all amongst the chaos, and she considered once more heading back for her boat to wait it out.

That is, until she heard Luffy wailing.

It was the most heartbreaking sound that she had ever heard, rising above the din of battle to complete the dismal symphony. She had _never_ heard such a sound from her captain, and she knew instantly that something had to be _very_ wrong. As he continue to scream in agony, Nami raced toward the sound, shoving her way through the endless sea of people until she stumbled out into the open. There, Luffy was kneeling over the dead body of his brother, while a Marine official- the seeming killer- laughed at his agony. Abruptly, Luffy's voice died, and Nami gasped when he fell backward with his eyes rolled back into his head. The pain had been too much and he had lost consciousness.

“What a noble sacrifice,” the military man tutted as he prodded Ace in the back with the toe of his boot. His face was disfigured into a grotesque sneer, and he pulled of his hat to run a hand through his dark hair while he chomped on his cigar. “Now, time to end you, Straw Hat Luffy!” His arms suddenly burst with light, coating themselves with thick lava, and he raised his arm behind his hand to strike. With speed she did not know she possessed, Nami rushed forward to grab Luffy by the back of his shirt, pulling him into her and rolling away. Nami could feel the heat sear across her back as the admiral's fist collided with the concrete, melting it into a puddle, but she ignored the slight burn to scramble to her feet, panting as she held the unconscious boy to her chest with her Climatact held out protectively in front of her. Nami was no fool; she knew she was no match for this man, but she simply could not allow Luffy to die. The man sniffed as he pulled his lava-clad fist from the ground, shaking off half-melted clumps of stone, and turned to her with disdain. “Well, well, it’s my lucky day. I get the Straw Hat _and_ his navigator.”

“Stay back!” she barked, though her voice lacked the bite it needed. It was small, weak, shaky. The man only laughed at her, his shoulders shaking as he guffawed. “I mean it!” She took a few wary steps backwards, her eyes frantically searching the surrounding area for _some_ sort of escape route, for _someone_ who would help her; but everyone else was too embroiled in their own battles, and the girl was on her own. She adjusted Luffy in her grasp, listening to him wheeze. He was still crying, even in his sleep. Nami couldn't keep her own tears from flooding her eyes. _Why did everything have to turn out this way? Ace is… And Luffy and I…!_

“Just give it up, girl. Surrender, and I’ll make sure you don't suffer,” the admiral huffed, and the lava hissed as he curled his hand into a fist. Nami did the only thing that she thought she could do; she turned her body, shielding Luffy's with her own, hoping beyond hope that a miracle was around the corner. _Luffy! I’m so sorry!_ She thought as she felt the air hissing with heat as the admiral bore down on her with the intent to kill, but the searing pain never came; Nami gasped as she was suddenly grabbed and lurched backwards, out of harm's way. She glanced up to see that a gigantic fishman had pulled her and her captain to safety, within the riotous battlefield where the admiral could not see them.

“Who are you?” she cried in confusion.

“I am Luffy's friend, Jinbe. Give him to me! I can get him out of here!” Nami didn't know the stranger, but the fact that he had bothered to save them was good enough for her to comply. She gently handed over the unconscious Luffy, watching miserably as the blue fishman bundled her friend into his arms and vanished into the crowd. _Be safe, Luffy. We'll meet again soon,_ she thought, her bottom lip quivering. It was all so sad, everything around her, and it was almost too much to take; however, Nami did not have the time to dwell on that. She whipped about when she heard shouts, finding that the admiral was forcing his way across the carnage toward her. Luffy was safe now, but she was still very much in danger. As she saw the admiral's hat peeking over the heads of the various pirates and soldiers, Nami took off into the battlefield, ducking swinging swords and fists as she fled. Many times she would have to screech to a halt and race off in another direction, finding her path blocked by too feverish a scuffle or a towering block of debris. It was chaos, pure chaos, and soon she found herself dissolving into it; her heart pounded like a drum inside of her, a war drum that beat to the tune of the symphony of screams around her. She slipped in thick puddles of blood across the ground, and it splashed up her legs, stinking of iron and death. The bodies were _everywhere,_ staring at her with glassy eyes. It was too much, too much. Suddenly, she collapsed with a sob, clamping her hands over her ears, but she could still hear the screaming, the pain, the fear. _Why? Why is this happening?_ She thought wildly. Ace was dead, Luffy was gone; it was a bloodbath, a useless bloodbath. Had all honor expired? It was just malice, bloodlust, hatred, and Nami could stand it no longer.

“ _Stop it!”_ A scream unlike anything she had ever borne erupted from her, rippling across the crowd and freezing them in their tracks with its volume and emotive force. Nami wasn't sure when she started crying, but the tears flowed in thick rivers down her cheeks, and her chest heaved as she fought for breath. “That's enough! No more!” she begged them as she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Though it was silent now, she could still hear the screaming echoing in her mind, the pain, the hurt, the fear. “No more,” she whimpered, more to herself now. They were all staring at her, in shock and confusion. Who was this little girl who had stopped them short? Nami looked up, looked all of them in the eyes, and silently pleaded for them to end this war, this useless war that accomplished nothing. They stared back, war-torn, weary…

“Have you never seen war, little girl?” Nami gasped at the voice in front of her, and sat on her knees on the ground, frozen, as the admiral pushed his way out of the crowd. “What's the matter? Is it too much for you?” he mocked with a disdainful sniff. Nami quivered before him. The bloodlust was heavy in his eyes, and she knew that her plea would go unheard, and the battle would begin again, and the screaming, and the bleeding, and the _dying._ “You are a poor excuse for a pirate. I almost feel sorry for you,” he tutted, and she jumped as he suddenly whipped out his sword and pointed it directly at her throat. The sharp point rested against her soft flesh, rigid; he had not a tremor in his hand as he prepared to slay the defenseless girl. “This world is not for soft people like you.” Nami's eyes flashed with the light as he pulled the sword back, the sunlight streaming across its silver surface. _I’m going to die._ That was okay. She had come here what she came to do. She saved Luffy, and that was enough. _I wish, though…_

_I wish I had been able to see him become Pirate King._

The air whistled with the ringing of steel, and Nami watched as the sword cut the wind, heading straight for her. Before it could strike her, though, it crashed into another sword above her head, with enough sparks to send sparks raining down on her. She gasped, looking up, to see a red-haired man standing behind her, sword in hand and a smirk on his face.

“That's quite enough, Akainu. I didn't know the Marines were in the business of slaughtering little girls,” he tutted, but despite his playful tone, his eyes were as hard as the iron he held in his hand.

“It's Shanks,” someone whispered in the crowd. _Shanks? **The** Red-Haired Shanks? _She thought wildly. That was the last person she had expected to come to her rescue.

“This _little girl_ happens to be a ruthless pirate. She's Straw Hat Luffy's navigator. I am doing my job as a Marine. By killing this pirate, I make the seas a safer place,” Akainu shrugged. Nami looked at him in incredulity. **_Ruthless?_** _I’m sitting here, in a puddle of tears and virtually unarmed, and you call me **ruthless?**_ That struck a chord in her, and suddenly she found her voice again.

“You're a joke!” she shrieked angrily. “How _dare_ you pretend to be some kind of savior! You're not in the business to save _anybody!”_ she yelled. Her voice carried across the battlefield, thick with emotion. “Where were the Marines when Arlong took my island captive, killed my mother, and held me and my family captive for _eight years? **Eight years!**_ You swear to protect the people, yet you turn a blind eye to _ruthless_ pirates like him! And what about all your soldiers?” For effect, Nami gestured around the battlefield, at all the discarded bodies and those in the process of dying. “They're _dying!_ And for what? You've done what you came here to do! Ace is _dead!”_ she shrieked. She turned her eyes on Akainu, glaring. “You pretend to have honor, yet you have _none!_ You think nothing of killing a boy broken by grief, or a girl begging for the bloodshed to end!” She hung her head, shaking. “Luffy has more honor than all of you put together! Luffy is the one who saved my village, and he's been saving all the people you've abandoned! Luffy would _never_ hurt anyone who couldn't fight anymore, or someone who was begging for peace! Pirates? Marines? What's the difference? Shouldn't we focus more on being _human?_ Fighting for our family, our friends, for what's _right?_ Tell me now, what are all of you fighting for right now?” Silence hung in the air after her question, and she sniffed. “That's what I thought. It's time for this war to end,” she whispered, her shoulders sagging. She was suddenly exhausted, from the adrenaline and emotion.

“She doesn't seen very ruthless to me, Akainu,” Shanks snorted, pulling back his sword. Nami noticed that he still held it in front of her, like a barrier to protect her should the admiral still attempt to claim her life. “She's right. Look around you. Don't you think you've spilled enough blood today?” he asked with narrowed eyes. “There is nothing else to accomplish here.” The admiral gazed at him levelly, perhaps weighing the risks; then, he whipped about, his white cloak billowing in the wind.

“Very well. The war at Marineford is over. Let us go our separate ways in peace… For now.” With that, he gathered his marines, and headed for their ships with the dead and dying in tow. Nami exhaled deeply in relief, finally realizing that she had been quivering the entire time. In anger, in fear- she did not know. Perhaps both. She stared at the ground, which was rust-colored with drying blood, and wondered what would happen now. _Luffy was really hurt… I don't know where Jinbe took him. I don't know where to go now…_ she thought miserably. She heard clothing shift beside her, and she glanced out of the corner of her eyes as Shanks knelt down beside her and plopped a hand on the top of her head, gently ruffling her tangerine hair.

“That was very brave of you. What’s your name?”

“N-Nami,” she answered with a slight sniff, reaching up to rub the tears from her eyes. The danger was over, but yet she could not force the tears to stop. “I’m Luffy's navigator.”

“Yes, so Akainu said. Where is Luffy now?”

“He was taken away from Marineford. Somewhere safe.” She glanced out into the battlefield, which had thinned now. She could see across the pavilion where Ace's body still lay. Shanks followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes when they fell upon the body, and sighed slightly.

“Too many have died today,” he muttered before standing up and sheathing his sword. “All right, men, you know what to do.” Shanks' crew shouted acknowledgement before heading off in the direction of the deceased pirate lieutenant, but also in another; Nami peered around them to see yet another dead man, with a beard white like snow; no doubt, it was the captain that Ace so revered, Captain Whitebeard. “We're going to give them a proper burial. It's the least they deserve. They were good men,” Shanks told her, his empty sleeve fluttering as a breeze swept across the pavilion, littered with discarded weapons and crumbled concrete. Nami glanced up at him.

“May I come with you? I… I want to be there for Ace, in Luffy's stead,” she asked. He looked surprised for a moment, then smiled warmly and nodded in approval. Nami, finally finding that her strength had returned, stood up and followed the older pirate crew over to Ace's body. Someone was softly crying over it; when she got closer, she recognized him as Garp, the Marine whom Luffy regarded as a grandfather. _That’s right. Ace was his family too._ She watched respectfully for a moment as the old man collected himself, and when he finally straightened up, his eyes fell on her.

“Hmmph. So Luffy got away, did he?” he grunted. Nami nodded, and he exhaled deeply and turned his back. “Good… That’s good. This was something he should have never had to see,” he murmured. _It must be hard, being a Marine and the people close to you being your sworn enemies… His heart must be torn apart._

“Mr. Garp,” she said as he moved to walk away. “I promise, I’ll take care of Luffy. You can count on me.” The old man turned back to her, and she could see that he was on the verge of tears again. He reached out and clapped his large hand on her shoulder with a small smile.

“Mm. I’ll hold you to that,” he said, and then grinned slightly. “And don't call me ‘Mister'! ‘Grandpa' is just fine!” he laughed before releasing her and whirling about to be on his way. Nami blinked, mildly surprised, and could say nothing as he walked off across the pavilion to join his comrades at their ships. Soon enough, Nami was en route as well, accompanying Shanks and his crew to put Ace and Whitebeard to rest like they deserved. She stood at the edge of the boat, her hands on the railing as she gazed at the rapidly retreating structure of Marineford. Though it was now over, and things had not turned out as badly as they could have, Nami could not help but be guilt-ridden. She sighed deeply, as she had been for several minutes now, and gazed sadly out at the sloshing waves.

“It pains me to see such a sad expression on a young girl's face.” Nami glanced over her shoulder to see Shanks standing there, while his crew mulled about but were obviously watching out of the corners of her eyes. Nami could keep it to herself, but for some reason she felt like she could trust Shanks and his men with her feelings.

“I just wonder… If I had gotten there sooner, could all of this have been prevented?” she admitted quietly. She turned to face him, holding her hands behind her back as she hung her head so he could not see the tears brimming in her eyes. It seemed she still had tears left to shed. “Luffy… I’ve never seen him like that. It was… the most heartbreaking thing…” She could still hear him, screaming to the point that he lost consciousness. “I can't imagine how much pain he was in, watching Ace die right in front of him… He loved Ace so much… And he died to save him. Luffy… Luffy must feel so guilty, and so weak… And none of us can even be there for him. I just… I just wish I could have _done_ something, because seeing him like that… It was so awful.” The tears were rolling down her cheeks now and splashing down onto the wooden surface of the boat. When she lifted her head, Shanks was gazing at her sadly, while the rest of the men were staring.

“You just gonna sit there and let her cry like that? Cheer her up, men!” Someone suddenly shouted, and Nami jumped as they all began scrambling across the boat, trying to find pretty things for her and running over to give her kind words. It was clear that they were not used to having a woman on board, and the simple act of them trying so hard to make her happy cheered her up a little. She could not help but smile as they gathered around her to ease her mind, ensuring that it wasn't her fault and she did the best she could. After it got excessive, Shanks ran them off to go about their duties on the ship, tossing his red hair and looking at her apologetically.

“Sorry about them. They aren't used to such a cute girl being around.”

“It's okay,” she laughed. “It's almost like I have a boat full of dads. I kinda know now why Luffy is so attached to you all.” Shanks smiled at that, and crossed the deck to lean against the railing beside her, his one hand resting on the smooth finished wood. “… They are right, though. You did the best you could. Luffy isn't going to blame you for what happened.”

“I know.”

“So what will you do? Luffy isn't going to take this quietly,” he asked her with a curious expression. Nami crossed her arms, smiling slightly.

“No. He'll probably do something drastic, like declare war on the government,” she mused. “But he's going to want to get stronger… Much stronger. And that means I have to get stronger, too. After the burial, I’m going to head back to Weatheria. Whenever Luffy is ready for us, we'll meet again at Shabody Archipelago,” she decided. She didn’t know when that would be, but she knew the day would come. The crew was scattered to the four winds, but Luffy would find a way to let them know.

In a world torn apart by war, they would find a way to keep going- and Nami was going to support her captain, no matter what.

“Hehe. You like Luffy a lot, don't you?” Shanks snickered, and she rounded on him with pink cheeks.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing~” he chimed and went strolling off across the deck, still laughing. Nami ran after him, bleating protests like a little lamb, but he must have thought her cute and didn’t take her seriously, as he kept laughing at her.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! _Shanks!”_

“If you don't get it, I can’t help you!”

“This isn't _funny!”_

“On the contrary, it's quite funny.”

After a while, Nami abandoned the effort and stomped back to her spot to gaze at the ocean. She couldn't see Marineford anymore, only the gently rolling waves of the sea. _Luffy… Wherever you are now, I hope you’re safe… And I hope you're going to be okay,_ she thought as she rested her cheek in her hand. _I’m going to get stronger._

_Next time, things won't go this way. Next time, I’ll be there for you._

_You won’t fight this war alone._


	44. You and I Part III

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki and Tatsuki Arisawa

Tatsuki felt like she was floating on air as she strode along the sidewalk, her hand still firmly locked within Ichigo’s as he walked alongside her. Now that she was out of her head, it was quite an enjoyable experience, and despite herself she was downright giddy. _Just be myself. I can do that,_ she thought as she glanced out of the corner of her eyes at her date. He was staring off into space again, thinking about whatever he liked to think about on his walks. _Ichigo really is a mysterious guy… I thought I knew him well, but honestly, there are some times that I can’t really tell what's going on in his head._ She flicked her gaze back to the sidewalk, lest she be caught staring again, and then coughed uncomfortably.

“So, where are we going?” she asked. Ichigo's mouth curled upward into a small smirk.

“It's a surprise.” Tatsuki began pouting again, turning to look up at him with narrowed eyes. He just laughed at her, quite intent on their destination remaining a secret, and so she grunted and rolled her eyes. _Ugh, so he's one of **those,** huh? What’s he trying to do, be smooth? _Though it was irritating, the plot worked; Tatsuki found herself _dying_ to know just where he was taking her.

Karakura Town was relatively small, so everything of interest was within walking distance. They traveled out of Tatsuki's neighborhood into the business district of town, where cars were rolling by and other passersby were out enjoying the evening. Some schoolgirls, still dressed in their uniforms, giggled as they passed by laden with shopping bags and talking about a fun weekend at the beach that was coming up. A young mother towed along her young toddler, who was gleefully attacking an ice cream cone, succeeding more in smearing it across her chubby cheeks than actually eating it. A businessman chattering on his phone walked briskly by, his briefcase swinging alongside him. A trio of young boys rolled by on their skateboards, startling an old man as they raced by and causing him to irritably shake his cane at them. It was a normal day for everyone else. _Yet here I am… Out on a date!_ She thought. It was certainly out of the ordinary for her.

As they passed by the various businesses, Tatsuki wondered which of them could be the mystery destination for their date. A little café sat on the corner, a quaint little brick-and-mortar construct with flowerpots on the windowsill and an overall cheery demeanor; school students and business people alike were inside, tapping away at their computers as they sipped at various caffeinated beverages. A nice barbecue steakhouse was across the street, and well-to-do men and women strolled in and out of it, indicating it as an upscale establishment. An ice cream shop was down the street, with colorful lettering advertising an assortment of flavors and toppings. Ichigo continued to tote her along, giving her no hint of where they were headed. By the time he finally stopped, she was almost dying of curiosity.

“Oh! A noodle shop,” she blinked when she read the signage displayed above the doorway. It was cute, a red brick structure with warm brown accents and a wide window that allowed her to peer inside. There were quite a few patrons inside, enjoying steaming bowls of noodles garnished with various meats and vegetables.

“Yeah, it's new. I thought it would be fun to try,” he smiled at her, releasing her hand to open the door for her. Tatsuki felt a little sad to feel his warmth fade from her hand. _Ugh, don't be so gushy, Tatsuki,_ she scolded herself before striding through the door, acutely aware of Ichigo following closely behind her as she walked to a table. She slid into a booth, settling herself into the cushiony fabric, while Ichigo sat across from her. She found herself growing anxious once more. _Relax, Tatsuki. It's just Ichigo. You've gone out tons of times before._

 _Yeah, but never **alone** , _the annoying little devil in her mind chimed, and she sunk slightly down into the booth with a groan, attempting to ease her nerves. She busied herself with the menu, her eyes sweeping across the various items. Her problem soon became that she could not decide what she wanted to order, because everything looked so good.

“I don't know what I want,” she laughed after a minute, shyly peering over the edge of the menu at him. He was leaned back against the booth, one arm slung back over the top. _Always making himself comfortable,_ she thought wryly as his gaze flicked up to meet hers. She was grateful that the laminated booklet in front of her face could hide her blush. “It all looks so good, doesn't it?”

“Yeah. I’m going for the pork ramen,” he mused as he snapped his menu shut and regarded her. “You like chicken, don't you, Tatsuki? Why don't you get something with that?” She blushed darker. _He remembers something like that?_ She thought and returned her gaze to the menu, concentrating on the chicken section.

“Hmm. I guess I’ll try this spicy chicken ramen,” she decided before closing the menu. The waiter arrived just then to take their orders, and while they waited on their food to be made they sat in silence, Tatsuki sipping on a water while Ichigo partook in a soda. He was gazing off again, but every once in a while his gaze would flicker to her, peering at her out of the corners of his eyes while his mouth twitched into a small smile. “What is it?” she asked him after a while, slightly irritated with him just staring at her.

“Nothin'. You're just cute.” Tatsuki's cheeks flared pink again, and this time she had no menu to shield her.

“I told you already. I’m not cute!” she whined, turning her face away as she tapped her fingernails against the smooth wood of the table.

“My bad. Adorable, then.”

“That's no better!” she cried and slammed her hand on the table, looking back at him. He was grinning stupidly, obviously teasing her, and she was feeding right into his amusement. “What? You think you can just tease me now that I’m you're girlfriend?” As soon as she realized what had come out of her mouth, she slapped a hand over it, her eyes wide. Ichigo’s grin widened devilishly.

“Oh? So you agree that this is a steady thing,” he smirked as he tilted his head to the side, baiting her. She silently fumed, angry at herself for saying something so compromising and angry with him for being such an annoying but frustratingly handsome jackass, and took a moment to carefully weigh how she was going to respond. _I mean, it's not that I don't **want** this to be a steady thing, but I don't want **him** to know that! _

“That isn't what I said,” she muttered, a weak excuse but the best thing she could come up with in the moment. He chuckled, and she sunk down in the booth with a huff, crossing her arms grumpily. _He's just playing me!_

“All right, order for the lovely couple!” the waiter chimed cheerfully as he set two steaming bowls in front of them, and it certainly didn't help Tatsuki's sour mood. Ichigo's eyes glittered with amusement, obviously very pleased with himself; Tatsuki just grabbed her chopsticks and snapped them apart, pretending that it was his spine. _He's so annoying! And handsome!_ She whined, unable to _really_ be mad because he looked so infuriatingly attractive when he was grinning at her like that. Grumpy, she swirled her noodles for a moment and, forgetting that she had ordered something spicy, shoveled a large amount of them into her mouth. A shiver went through her body, traveling from the tip of her toes to the crown of her head, and her eyes immediately began to water as the hot spices seared her tongue. _Oh my God! This is really hot!_ She wailed silently, simply holding the noodles in her mouth because she was in too much pain to try and chew them.

“What is it? Too spicy for ya?” Ichigo teased. He was watching her with that same stupid grin, leaning his cheek in his hand while he slowly stirred his noodles with the chopsticks in the other hand. Tatsuki immediately realized that her pride was at stake, and so she forced herself to swallow the noodles, managing to keep the whimper from escaping her mouth as her entire mouth burned like it was on fire. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, trying to seem composed as she looked at him levelly. She probably wasn't accomplishing much, with her reddened face and her eyes brimming with tears.

“It's great.” To her disappointment, her voice came out in a croak, and she flushed as Ichigo laughed at her.

“Here, try mine,” he said, and Tatsuki rolled her eyes, moving to dip her chopsticks into his bowl. However, to her shock, Ichigo plucked a piece of pork from his bowl and held it out to her across the table, indicating for her to eat it.

“I am _not_ letting you feed me.”

“Whatsa matter?” he grinned at her, and she _knew_ that he was baiting her again. _Where does he get this confidence? I could kick his ass right here and now!_ He waved the meat in front of her face, sending broth splattering in small droplets across the table. “Come onnn. You know you want to,” he goaded, the sneer traveling across his face as he watched Tatsuki squirm. The meat _did_ look good, and her mouth was burning so much, she needed _some_ relief. _But letting him feed me? I’ll look so girly!_ She thought in dismay, her eye twitching as the heat in her mouth began to intensify. After a moment of internal struggle, her pride gave into the fire in her mouth, and she leaned slightly across the table to take the pork in her teeth and pull it from the chopsticks. She glared at him, eyes locked, as she slowly chewed the meat and swallowed, and he watched her levelly the entire time, _quite_ pleased with himself. “Well?”

“That's really good.” Tatsuki didn’t want to admit it, but it was quite savory and delicious.

“Good. Now gimme some of that chicken.” She stiffened like a soldier at attention, completely incredulous that he was now implying for _her_ to feed _him_. That stupid, maddeningly attractive grin flashed across the table at her, taunting her, and the heat that had once been burning on her tongue now flared across her cheeks. She gripped her chopsticks so tightly she could have broken them, then hissed under her breath and plucked a piece of the spicy chicken from her ramen bowl.

“I hate you,” she muttered as she held it out to him, eye twitching and her lips pursed.

“If you hated me, you wouldn't be here,” he snickered in response and leaned over to snatch the meat off the sticks, winking at her as he devoured it. She went darker, but watched with some satisfaction as he coughed and waved a hand over his mouth. “Wow! You weren’t kidding! What'd they do, dump the whole can of spice in there?” he huffed as he fanned his burning mouth. She chuckled and took another, smaller bite of her noodles. Though it was spicy, it wasn't too bad once she got used to it, and she was able to finish it off. However, she was panting by the end of it, her face steaming and her eyes and nose running unattractively. “You really do have too much pride. You could have gotten something else.”

“It was good, though!” she protested as she sipped gingerly at her water. It didn’t provide much relief to her fiery mouth, but enough. The waiter brought the check, and both of them reached for it at the same time.

“Oh, no. We aren't going Dutch.”

“I can pay for my own food!” she protested, attempting to jerk the checkbook out of his hand. He kept a firm hold on it, scowling.

“This is a _date,_ Tatsuki! _I_ pay for _you_!” he asserted and jerked the book back, and with a yelp she ended up halfway across the table, sending the empty ramen bowls skittering about and her face ending up a few inches from his. While she squeaked and went red, he continued to glare levelly at her, eyes narrowed. “Let go, Tatsuki.” She had no idea how he could be so serious when their noses were nearly touching. Stiffly, she released the black checkbook and slid back into her seat, while Ichigo pulled some cash out of his pocket to pay the bill. When he handed it off to the waiter, he looked at her smugly. “You're too stubborn, ya know.”

“Isn't that one of my endearing qualities?” she grunted back, arms crossed.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” he smiled, and the warmth there stunned her into silence. The waiter returned with his change, and with that he stood up from the table and began walking toward the door. Tatsuki scurried after him, her dress swishing about her knees as she trotted, walking out of the restaurant as he held the door for her.

“Whoa! I didn't realize we were here so long.” While they had been inside, night had descended over Karakura Town; the streets were bathed in the soft light of the moon and the fluorescent glare of the streetlamps with the occasional wash from the headlights of a passing car; neon signs blinked here and there, advertising the local businesses now that the sun was gone. It was still early evening, and many people were still about, mostly adults and couples looking for a fun night on the town. She heard the door swing shut behind her, she turned her head to look up at him. “So? What now?”

“What? You don't want to go home yet?” he mused, then blinked when her expression went serious.

“No…” she admitted quietly, looking shyly at her feet. Though Ichigo was a pain, she could not deny that she was having a lot of fun. He blinked down at her, then smiled softly and reached down to grasp her hand once more.

“All right. Let's go for a walk, then.” Tatsuki smiled as he pulled her along the sidewalk deeper into the business district of town, and she even deigned to press a little close to him, their arms brushing together as they walked. Every touch send electricity sparking through her nerves, but it was a good feeling, an exciting feeling. _I think I’m really starting to enjoy this._

They meandered around town for a while, window-shopping and poking into little shops to look around, before they finally decided it was time for them to return home. Ichigo insisted on walking her, of course, despite the fact that he knew she was perfectly capable of walking home alone; behind her banter, though, she welcomed the few extra minutes she could spend with him. _I guess dating really isn't **that** much different than being friends… We just hold hands and stuff, _she told herself as she plodded along beside him. Out in the neighborhoods, the streetlamps were spaced father apart, with lines of darkness stretching between the circles of yellow light. In these patches, they were basking in moonlight, and Tatsuki could not help but appreciate how Ichigo's orange hair turned a mute gold in the whitish glow, like a tiny sun bobbing along in the dark. She wondered if he thought the same kinds of things about her. Did she look pretty in the moonlight, too? She doubted that; her dark hair absorbed the light rather than reflected it, making her look like some kind of gloomy spectre. _A gloomy ghost in a cheery dress,_ she thought with a wry smile as she pulled at the loose fabric. She had possessed reservations at first, but she had to admit that it was more comfortable than she thought and gave her legs freer range of motion. Plus, though she would never admit it, she like the way it flowed around when she moved.

“What're you thinking about?” Tatsuki looked up when he suddenly addressed her. For once, she had been the one whose thoughts had wandered.

“Just… Little things. Like how nice this has been,” she answered quietly. She certainly wasn't going to tell him she thought his hair looked like the sun in the moonlight, he would _never_ let her live that done. He smiled at her, that lopsided smile she liked so much.

“So, you never answered me. _Are_ you and I a steady thing?” They had reached her house now, and he stopped in front of her, one hand in his pocket while the other still gently held her hand. _You and I._ She liked the way he said that. She looked down at them, appreciating the way their fingers seemed to fit so seamlessly together, and swung their arms side-to-side a little as she thought.

“… I guess… We _are_ a steady thing,” she replied, looking up at him as she puffed out her cheeks slightly. _He makes me so… Ugh._ She wasn't sure how to describe it, really. He just brought something out in her that she wasn't used to, but she didn't think it was necessarily a _bad_ thing. _I could get used to this._ He smiled happily down at her, and she couldn't help the happy smile from appearing on her face, too. “So, um… Wanna do this again sometime?”

“Yeah. I’ll call you,” Ichigo mused, and Tatsuki glanced down as his hand suddenly slid from hers to travel up her arm, coming to a rest just below her shoulder. In her moment of inattention, he had stepped close to her, and when she looked up, Ichigo's face was inches away from hers. Her heart somersaulted in her chest, and her muscles locked so that she could not move. She gazed up at him, her eyes wide and her breath caught in her throat, as his other hand rose to rest on her cheek. “Are you gonna get mad at me if I say you’re cute again?” he asked her, his voice low. There was something about it that made her heart flutter. _He sounds… sexy…_

“Maybe I could get used to it,” she mumbled back, trying to seem calm despite the fact that she was pretty much freaking out. She felt dizzy and short of breath, and unconsciously she stepped forward to put her hands on his chest to steady herself. _What’s wrong with me? Is it… him?_ Ichigo almost looked different now. How had she not noticed all this time how maddeningly handsome he was? And that smirk. Damn, she loved that smirk. Her mind was in such shambles that she did not notice Ichigo's face descending over hers until he was right on top of her, and by that time his lips were sliding over her own. As soon as they met, Tatsuki melted in his arms, her eyes drifting shut as she abandoned herself to the kiss. It stole what little breath she had left in her, and her fingers dug into his shirt, afraid that if she did not hang on to him she would collapse. Their mouths moved in a slow waltz, and Tatsuki felt like a symphony was starting inside of her, her heart was singing so loudly. When they finally broke apart, she felt like she was entranced for a moment, and had to blink several times to finally come to her senses. When she did, she stepped back from him, flushing. “Ah-ahem. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Tatsuki,” he chuckled and ruffled her hair, then turned his back and strolled off with a little wave. Tatsuki watched him leave, her heart still humming, before turning to go into her home. As she reached for the doorknob, it abruptly turned and the door wrenched open to reveal the four girls who had prepared her for her date earlier that day. Tatsuki yelped as Chizuru and Ryo grabbed her by her arms to yank her inside, while Michiru kicked the door shut behind her.

“Well! Tell us _everything!”_ Michiru demanded, hopping up and down with delight.

“Yeah! Yeah! Where did you go?” Orihime asked.

“Was there a lot of kissing? Tongue? Did you put out?”

“ _Chizuru!”_ they all shouted in unison at the perverted redhead.

“What? They’re legitimate questions!” she pouted, but the girls were already back to pestering Tatsuki. Under the fierce interrogation, she could still not help but smile. As her friends sat her down on the sofa, she began to relate the exhilarating tale to them, while they squealed and wriggled about with glee.

_You and I… I’m looking forward to it._


	45. A Bond of Trust Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Luffy, Nami, and Sabo

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami's head was tilted slightly to the side as she gazed down at the sleeping Luffy, whose head was currently propped in her lap. It was quite amazing how peacefully he could sleep after such a harrowing battle, and though she had witnessed it many times Nami could still not help but be surprised; though he was wrapped head-to-toe in thick, white bandages, concealing deep wounds as well as countless scratches, he was breathing deeply and loudly, a bit of drool dripping from his open mouth. _Once the battle is done, he doesn't have a care in the world._ Nami smiled gently and reached down to softly run her fingers through his hair; though they had cleaned his body, Luffy's hair was still matted with dried blood and sweat, clumping thickly together until Nami's slim fingers teased the strands apart. _He fought hard._

He fought hard for _her._ She could still hear his voice ringing in the brilliant blue sky, ensuring that he would protect her from the villainous Doflamingo. He had succeeded in that, after an intense struggle on all their parts, and now they were currently hiding in a safe house while they waited for the battered crew to recover before heading onward to Zou, to rejoin the rest of their crew that had already departed. As she continued to rhythmically stroke his messy hair, her smile softened. _Thank you, Luffy._

Nami glanced up as the door to the small structure opened and Sabo walked in, pulling off his top hat to expose his fluffy, wavy blonde hair. A ring of greetings went around the room as the renegade strolled across the wooden floorboards with a cheerful smile.

“Did you bring any booze?” Zoro yawned, cracking his one good eye open to smirk at him.

“Sorry. No alcohol,” Sabo chuckled, and the bitter swordsman grumbled under his breath before rolling over and drifting back off to sleep to continue nursing his wounds. The scarred but happy man looked to his sleeping younger brother, then raised his eyebrows when he realized his head was cradled into Nami's thighs while the navigator continuously stroked his hair. “Does he do this all the time?” he sputtered and pointed at the unconscious captain.

“Yeah, he always sleeps for a long time after he fights,” Nami answered simply.

“N-no, I meant like _that!_ ” Nami then realized that he was referring to the _way_ that he was sleeping. Nami supposed that it may be alarming to find such an immensely powerful man like Luffy passed out in the lap of a woman. Now that _she_ thought about it, it was a pretty compromising position for herself, too. A faint haze of rosy pink blossomed upon her cheeks, but she could not bring herself to move him. He looked so peaceful, lying there pillowed by her lap. _It doesn't mean anything. I just want him to be comfortable,_ she thought stubbornly.

“He needed a pillow,” she mumbled. Sabo looked highly uncomfortable with the situation but squatted down beside the sleeping captain anyway, looking him over with an approving grin.

“Do you want us to wake him up?” Robin offered.

“No… I just wanted to see how he was doing,” he refused as he tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes continuing to search him over. “He's grown strong… He really could do it- be King of the Pirates.”

“Of course he will! We're gonna make sure of it!” Sanji snapped at him, making Sabo grin.

“I’m glad Luffy has such good friends,” he beamed and then looked at Nami with a knowing smile, “and such a good girlfriend, too!” Nami's face immediately blazed fiery red, and her fingers halted in the middle of Luffy's hair to glare at him with puffed-out cheeks.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” _Why does he keep saying that?_ She thought wildly as her blushed painted her face from her ears to her neck.

“I dunno, Nami. You two look pretty chummy to me,” Zoro sneered at her, his eye twinkling with amusement. Nami's blush spread down to her trembling fingers still wound in Luffy's matted, thick hair.

“Shut up and go back to sleep, Zoro!” She hissed and snapped her head around to face him.

“Yeah, Zoro! You love _me_ , right, Nami, dear?” Sanji barked at the swordsman, then swooned dramatically, clasping his hands together as hearts practically danced in his eyes as he gazed at the navigator.

“I’m not in love with anybody!” she insisted. _Is no one listening to me?!_ Nami's entire body was red now, burning like a flame. _I'm so embarrassed!_ All she wanted to do was care for her captain. Why did everybody have to make fun of her for it? She looked down at him, sleeping so peacefully, as she bit down on her lip. She didn't feel anything like that for her captain… right?

“All right, all right, if you say so!” Sabo chuckled, smirking widely as Nami continued to pout. They stopped teasing her, at least. Suddenly, Luffy mumbled loudly in his sleep, causing them all to glance at the captain.

“Nami…” he murmured, his face screwing up slightly as he whispered her name. Nami felt her heart somersault in her chest, and she curled her fingers into his hair by reflex. _He's dreaming about me?_ Something about that fact sent her heart fluttering like a fledgling bird, and she felt _happy_ about it. Though she didn't realize it, a soft smile was forming on her lips, and she leaned down slightly over him. “Nami… I won't let him have you…” _Ah. He's dreaming about Doflamingo._ He had been so angry at the Warlord's bold claims on her, his intent to make her his in more ways than one _. “Just trust me, okay?”_ Nami had, and he had delivered. “I won't let you go… You're mine…” he mumbled, his expression turning more desperate _. I'm… his?_ Nami’s mind couldn't wrap around the utterance, but her heart could, as it began to beat furiously within her ribcage. Before she could even think of reacting, Luffy's eyes snapped open to stare directly up at her, bright and lucid. Nami froze as her eyes locked with his, leaving her helpless to his next action.

He raised his bandaged hand to slide it to the back of her head, sliding his fingers into her waves of tangerine hair not unlike her own, still entwined with his matted locks; then, with a slight jerk, he pulled Nami's face down to his so that he could press his mouth to hers. It was not just a simple, short kiss, either; he moved his mouth against hers, drawing her lips into the current for several seconds and bringing her eyes closed. Nami's heart beat like a drum alongside the singing of her soul as a feeling she had never known burst inside of her. Nami wasn't sure if she should call it happiness, affection, or even something as deep as love; nevertheless, she savored it. After about ten seconds, Luffy pulled back slightly, their lips still barely brushing. Nami's eyelashes fluttered open to see Luffy smiling gently up at her, his eyelids already drifting closed as sleep began to claim him once more. “You’re mine, understand?” he murmured again, her lips tingling with the sensation of his own drifting over hers.

“Yes, Luffy.” The answer came out of her effortlessly, naturally, like she had known that all along. His smile widened at that, and then his head flopped back and his eyes closed as he fell once more back into deep sleep. As his hand slid through the strands of her hair, falling back to the floor, she caught it without thinking. _I understand._ The bandages felt rough against the soft skin of her palm; beneath those bandages were wounds that he had earned fighting for _her_. It was then that Nami really realized what that meant.

It took a few seconds for the euphoria to wear off, and when it did she comprehended that she had kissed Luffy in front of _everyone._ Her head snapped up and she covered her mouth with her hand, and all hell broke loose.

“Wake him back up! I’m gonna kick his ass! How dare he kiss Nami!” Sanji fumed, jumping up to point angrily at the snoozing captain while he stamped his foot thunderously against the wooden floor. He then released a strangled gasp and grabbed his side, where a stitch had busted to spill bright red blood across his bandages. He flopped down next to Zoro, who was cackling.

“Damn! I never would've expected that in a million years! What a show!” he howled and slapped his leg, until his laugh abruptly switched to pained groans as he ended up in the same situation as their cook.

“Stop moving around like that, dammit, now I have to fix your bandages!” Law growled. He could care less about the kiss, thankfully. Robin was just smirking, like she had expected something like that to happen sooner or later.

“I knew it! Nami is Luffy’s girlfriend!” Sabo beamed with delight. Nami buried her red face into her hands, and though she was thoroughly embarrassed, she could not help but smile.

 _Luffy… I guess I do feel something for you, after all._ Her heart was still like a cloud, floating on air on a wind of budding love. Nami wasn't sure what was going to happen now, or if Luffy would even remember what had happened when he awoke- but to Nami, that didn't matter. She knew now.

_I'll trust in these feelings, too- yours, and mine. I know they'll lead to something wonderful on the horizon…_

“You gonna give him a goodnight kiss every time now, Nami?”

“Shaddup, kelp-head, or I'll stomp you into a pancake! Nami, dear, you didn't _really_ enjoy that kiss, did you?”

“Nami, take good care of Luffy, okay? <3”

If she could survive the incessant teasing, of course.


	46. Feverish

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, and Red-Haired Shanks

Requested By: Scarlet (Ao3)

Nami groaned heavily as she tapped the end of her pen repeatedly against the sleek wooden surface of the bar counter, her irritated gaze fixed on the dismal calculations of the crew's financial accounts. She sipped at her beverage as she quickly ran over the sums in her head, validating that they were indeed quite miserable excuses for pirates. _We're going to be flat broke at this rate!_ She thought sourly and flipped the accounting book shut before downing the remainder of her drink. She motioned for the bartender to refill her, then laid her head down against the smooth varnished wood, enjoying the coolness against her forehead, which was currently hot to the touch.

Due to the stress of the entire Big Mom disaster, Nami had developed a small fever from exhaustion, or so Chopper had said. The ship was lacking in provisions, and so they had stopped on a small island to restock; though the little reindeer had been adamant she remain on the ship under strict bedrest, Nami had been in no mood to laze about in bed, and so she had compromised with the doctor for a change in locale. He had permitted her to stay in a bar near the docks while the rest of the crew went about their business, and to basically abstain from doing anything too strenuous. Nami was sure that the fever was nothing to worry about, but to spare herself the annoyance of sending Chopper into a meltdown she had done as bid, even going as far as to order a water from the bar rather than alcohol. _Though I could use some booze after running these numbers,_ she thought bitterly. The idea that they were all out spending _more_ money certainly didn't improve her mood.

“I had better figure out a budget before these fools make us bankrupt. Imagine a broke Pirate King,” she snorted and flipped open the accounting book again, scribbling numbers across the lined pages with a growing satisfied smile. She became so absorbed in her work that she momentarily forgot her exhausted, vulnerable state, and also failed to notice when a large group of raucous, rowdy men came pouring into the bar to settle themselves at the available tables and cram themselves at the few seats remaining on the bar. Nami only glanced out of the corners of her eyes as one of them settled into the open stool next to her; he was a red-haired man, with three parallel scars across his eye and one of his arms missing, leaving a flopping black sleeve. He was an attractive man, not that Nami really cared. When he cast her a sidelong glance and smirked at her, she blushed faintly and returned to her calculations. She didn't want to give the impression that she was interested, after all. The men continued to laugh heartily and talk loudly as they guzzled down ale while the petite navigator dutifully went about her work.

“Namiiiiii!” a squeaky voice called within the cacophony, and Nami turned around to see tiny little Chopper scampering through the many pairs of legs traversing the beer-soaked floor, panting heavily while toting a little vial in his front hooves. After a tough time navigating the constantly shifting maze, he appeared at her feet wheezing loudly. “Your medicine!” he puffed and held up the vial for her to take. “This should help bring down the fever.” He clambered up into the stool on the other side of her when a rather drunk man vacated his seat to stumble to the bathroom, his little back legs flailing as he struggled to pull himself onto the little stool. Once he did, he plopped down with a contented sigh. It was then that he noticed the sums she was currently working. “Nami! You shouldn't be working right now!”

“Oh, Chopper, I'm fine,” she tutted as she unscrewed the cap of the vial and downed it in one go, screwing up her face at its bitter taste. “How long will this take to work?” she asked and passed the empty vial back to the concerned reindeer, who tucked it into his pouch for safekeeping.

“About thirty minutes,” he answered, then frowned deeply at her. Though he was trying to seem stern, with his puffed-out cheeks and narrowed eyebrows over his big, bright eyes, he looked more cute than anything. “Nami, you really need to take it easy. You remember the last time you had a fever, right? When we first met? That was really serious! Plus, Luffy is worried about you, you know! Imagine what it would be like if you collapsed!”

Nami was about to respond that _that_ particular fever had been the result of being bitten by a disease-carrying bug and she doubted that it was that serious, but when he mentioned her captain worrying over her, all words died in her throat. _He's worried about me…?_ For some reason, that warmed her heart. She looked back down at her calculations, then slowly closed the thin book. She didn't want to give her captain cause to worry, after all…

The hair on the back of her neck began to tingle, and she glanced out of the corners of her eyes again to see the red-haired man gazing intently at her. Thinking he may be working up the courage to flirt with her, she hastily returned her attention to their resident doctor. It was then that she realized just how tired she was; working on the sums had taken more out of her than she had realized. She slumped against the wood, panting slightly, and raised a hand to her face. She was startled to find a thin sheen of sweat coating her skin, and the heat radiating from her had intensified. “Nami!” Chopper squeaked and shuffled forward to feel her forehead. “You’re burning up! We need to get you back to the ship. You need rest!” he insisted. Nami was so tired that she was inclined to agree. She nodded wearily and set a few bills on the bar and turned in her seat to stand up, but froze when a familiar cackle echoed through the already noisy bar.

“Well, well, well! What do we have here?” Nami’s mouth almost dropped open when she saw who had sidled into the door. _Zappa?! What is **he** doing here? _ Nami had encountered the silver-haired marine before they had landed in Big Mom's country, when they had infiltrated the Marine base to acquire much-needed provisions. The crazy man had fallen in love with Nami on sight and harassed her thoroughly in her time at the base, and Nami had been glad to leave him behind. She would have never dreamed that she would see him again, yet here he was, sneering at her like the first time they had met. “Nami! It must be fate for us to meet again!” he announced and strode right over to her, grabbing her by the hands and bringing his face close. Nami recoiled visibly, turning her face and scowling. “Marry me!”

“In your dreams, creep!” she spat and shoved him violently away. This was a bad idea on her part, considering her weakened state, and the swift action sent a cold rush flushing through her body. Her mind went fuzzy and her vision fogged as she danced dangerously close to unconsciousness, and she clutched the edge of the bar for support as her legs gave out beneath her. She was barely away of Chopper springing off the chair and running out the bar screaming, “I gotta go get Luffy!” As she reeled, her breath coming in ragged gasps while she struggled to stay awake, Zappa advanced on her again.

“That's not ladylike,” he tutted, and firmly grabbed her wrists. She gasped in pain as his fingers curled around her small wrists, practically crunching the bone beneath, and she could not resist in her feeble state. As his evil grin widened, Nami feared the worst, until Zappa let out a strangled cry. The sharp edge of a sword had been placed against his throat.

“If I didn't know any better, I would say the young lady isn't the least bit interested,” purred the handsome, scarred stranger as he turned the blade against Zappa's neck, causing a trickle of blood to appear and stream down to stain his white Marine uniform. The Marine, though in a dangerous position, did not quail; instead, he jumped back and drew his own silver blade. Immediately the bar burst with hostility, as every member of the rowdy crew drew blades and guns to point them threatening at the daring Marine. “That was rather bold of you,” he snorted before turning to Nami, who was still clinging to the bar and light-headed. “Miss, are you all right? You’re very pale.”

“I feel faint,” she stammered, and the taller man gently took her elbow to support her while her legs could not. Begrudgingly, Zappa sheathed his sword, and only after the man waved his hand dismissively did his underlings put away their weapons and return to their drinking. Conversation resumed, but it was quieter now; many pairs of eyes still rested on the angry Marine, who was still staring adamantly at the ill navigator. Nami was afraid he would make yet another pass at her, with the feral look in his eyes, until the door to the bar was literally kicked off of its hinges.

“Oi! You!” Luffy shouted, his face bright red with pure fury, and pointed at Zappa. “Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you _ever_ touch my navigator again!” he snapped. Nami was a bit startled at the sheer amount of rage her captain was exuding; it was rolling off him in waves, not unlike the intense fever gripping her body, and seeing him that angry for _her_ made her feel a bit faint for an entirely different reason. With a grunt, he extended his hand across the bar to wind it firmly around her waist, pulling her through the crowd of people. She landed against his chest, red-faced and breathless, and Luffy just glared at Zappa with murderous hate. “Nami is mine, got it?” Nami had never heard him refer to her in such a way, and it made her heart race for some reason. _What is this feeling_? All the excitement certainly didn't help her poor condition, and she slumped against him as another wave of dizziness washed over her; her head landed against his chest, and in her delirium she wondered if it had always been that muscular. _It feels nice…_ As she swooned, Luffy became aware of her weakened state and glanced down at her.

All the anger had vanished. He was smiling kindly at her, something soft hiding in the edge of his expression that she could not place. He gently reached up to sweep a strand of her orange hair from her flushed, clammy face, and in his eyes she could see genuine concern. “Nami, you work too hard. I hate to see you this way,” he sighed quietly. The way he was speaking to her was so unlike him, gentle and loving, lacking all the harsh bite he had used on Zappa only moments ago. It wasn't the Luffy she knew, boisterous and loud, but for some reason she didn't mind. Actually, it made her feel special, that she was the only one he had talked to in such a way. That she was the only one he cared so deeply for. He put a hand on her forehead, feeling the volcanic heat pouring off her skin. “You’re really sick.”

“I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you worry.” He gave her a lop-sided smile, his hand drifting down to cup her cheek. If she were in a normal state of mind, she would have recognized the touch as blatantly affectionate, but trapped in the thrall of the fever she was more concerned with how nice his cool hand felt against her burning flesh.

“Nah. It's my job to worry about you,” he smiled down at her. Nami smiled weakly back, her heart singing with happiness. Why was she so happy? She wasn't really sure, but she knew that Luffy was making her feel this way somehow. _He came to make sure I was okay…_

“Are you finished?” Zappa spat. He had regained some of his courage and drawn his sword, grimacing with disgust as he watched Luffy be so intimate with the object of his affections. “I want Nami to marry me! I’ll fight you for her, Straw Hat!” He snapped. Luffy clenched his teeth, the anger resurging, and pulled off his signature Straw Hat to set it on Nami's head. He turned to carefully set her in a sitting position against the wall, making sure as she was as comfortable as could be.

“Sit tight and watch my hat for me. Chopper is gonna get you patched up,” he ordered before turning back to Zappa and rolling his shoulders. “Normally I would tell a pest like you to beat it, but you've really pissed me off!” he snapped. The red-haired man and his crew made no move to interfere, perhaps recognizing that Luffy's pride would prevent it anyway. As the two sprang at each other and began to tear apart the bar in their little spat, flinging tables and chairs and smashing glasses, Nami hung her head and focused on keeping herself awake. She was so tired, but Luffy was fighting for her, so the least she could do was stay awake. Chopper, who had been huddled in the doorway, scampered over to her now that the situation was less precarious for him and set about applying a cool rag to her forehead and giving her another dose of the medication in an attempt to lower her fever.

By the time Nami's fever had receded enough for her senses to return, Zappa was lying in the street among the shattered pieces of the bar wall covered head-to-toe in bruises and bleeding from a busted nose. She vaguely heard Luffy apologize to the bar owner and promise to pay for the damage, to which Nami smirked. _So much for that budget._ She raised her head when Luffy returned to her side, and he leaned down with a small huff to pluck the straw hat from her head and place it back on his own. “Thanks,” he grinned, and then plopped down beside her. He barely had a scratch on him. It had been child's play for him to handle Zappa. “Man, I could go for some meat right now.” That was to be expected of Luffy, and she giggled. Then, he did something totally unexpected- he wrapped his arm firmly around his shoulders and pulled her close to him, looking at her worriedly. “Are you better now, Nami?”

“Yes, much better.” Though she was still feverish, she was of more sound mind. Though, she was beginning to flush again, and not from illness; he was holding her so closely, so _personally,_ that it was making her heart race. That foreign feeling was washing over her again. Was it joy? Partly, but there was something deeper to it, something she dare not name…

“Good! Promise me you'll be more careful, Nami,” he frowned at her, tilting his head to the side to look at her with his wide eyes. Were they always that adorable? “I worry about you. You work really hard. Sometimes you need to take a break.” Nami looked shyly down at her lap, flattered by his level of concern for her. Before she could answer, a shadow fell over them, and they both looked up to see the red-haired man.

“So, I see our little Luffy has gotten himself a girlfriend.” So many things raced through her mind in that moment. How did he know Luffy? Who was this guy? And Luffy's _girlfriend?_

“Shanks!” Luffy cried with delight, grinning from ear to ear. Nami was floored. _This is Shanks? I see why they nicknamed him “Red Hair.”_ It was like the color of fire. “I didn't even realize you were here! I was too busy kicking that loser's ass,” he huffed disdainfully with a nod to the unconscious Marine captain. “I have so much to tell you!”

“I'm sure you do,” Shanks mused, one hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his hip. “Why don't you grab a seat? We want to hear all about your journey.” The bar erupted into happy cheers and alcohol went flying around as they toasted to their reunion with the young boy. Nami was content to just sit on the floor and let Luffy have his fun. She knew how much Shanks and his crew meant to him, after all, and she didn't want to ruin his long-awaited reunion.

“Nah. I'll sit here with Nami, if you don't mind.” At such a blunt statement, Nami went pink, and even Chopped gasped and looked at Luffy with surprise. He was perfectly calm, though, like it was a reasonable thing to say, with his arm still slung nonchalantly about her shoulders.

“So Nami really is Luffy's girlfriend. Nice to meet you! I wish we could have met under better circumstances, when you were well,” Shanks beamed down at her.

“I'm not his girlfriend! I’m just his navigator!” she insisted hotly, burning now from embarrassment. The bar erupted into amused laughter.

“There's no need to be shy, darlin'!”

“Yeah! Tell us how a cute girl like you ended up with our little idiot!”

“Got any pretty friends, sweetheart? It’s not often we see girls as cute as you!”

“Hey! I'm not an idiot!” Luffy protested, apparently not concerned at all that the entire crew thought they were an item. Nami hid her feverish face in her hands, not sure whether to be embarrassed or shamelessly delighted.

Deep down, she wondered if being thought of as Luffy's girlfriend was really that bad at all. Maybe it was the fever still wreaking havoc on her body- or maybe, just maybe, she cared for Luffy as much as he seemed to care about her.

Nami didn't know what these feelings were, but maybe they led not only to happiness, but love, too…


	47. Fire and Water

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: Lee03na (Ao3)

Nami's hands tightened around the balustrade as she spotted the familiar silhouette of sails and a wooden bow upon the horizon, and the tears dripped from her eyes as the frightened breath she had been holding slipped from her mouth. Behind them, the murderous Big Mom on her blazing fiery familiar had halted right in the middle of whatever deadly attack she was going to unleash, and was currently sniffing the air while drool pooled into her mouth; even farther than that lie her entire armada. For hours, they had been embroiled in a feverish game of cat-and-mouse, and only a few short minutes ago Nami had been convinced that their desperate effort had been for naught. As that ship sailed upon the horizon, however, hope burst once more in Nami's heart.

“Everyone!” She gasped as the shadowy ship rapidly came into focus. “It’s a ship, and it has a cake on board! _It's Sanji!”_ Cheers erupted from the bedraggled crew, while the unconscious Carrot still snoozed on, tired from her exertion from the night before. Their shrieks of delight traveled across the swirling sea, and Nami thought that among the din she could hear the wayward cook calling her name.

Nami glanced up as the rushing of flames roared overhead just in time to see the cackling Emperor scream overhead like a meteor plummeting to Earth, rocketing toward Bege's ship, which had already whipped around to sail full-speed to the southwest. Nami's heart momentarily sunk, as she was afraid that Sanji would be trapped on the likely doomed vessel, until her expert eyes spotted a rapidly approaching object skimming just above the roiling waves heading right for them. By the time she had rapidly descended the steps down to the main deck, Sanji and Pudding had already landed on the wooden deck on a flying carpet.

“Yo! I’m back!” Sanji announced with a smug grin, a cigarette already clenched between his teeth. Nami _should_ have been prideful, _should_ have let him know how utterly _stupid_ he was for subjecting them to this entire ordeal, but the moment she heard his voice such notions flew to the back of her mind. All she could think about was how glad she was to see him, how utterly _elated_ she was that he was finally _home._ Along with Brook, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck like she never wanted to let him go again.

Maybe part of her didn't.

“Sanji! I’m so glad you’re all right! I thought we weren't going to make it for a moment; thank you!” she exclaimed happily. The tears came to her eyes without her knowing, and when she pulled back to look up at him they were spilling over her cheeks while her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. She had her fingers curled into the fabric of the fancy tuxedo shirt that he was still wearing, subconsciously convincing herself that he was really _here_ and was not a figment of her imagination. _He's_ _back. He's really home._ Sanji gawked at her for a moment, in utter shock that she would ever display such affection for him, before all the blood rushed to his face and steam practically blasted from his ears.

“ _Namiiiiiiii_!” he squealed, and before she could even react he had shoved Brook to the side to wrap her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her tangerine hair. Nami froze, still stiffly clutching onto the soft fabric of his tuxedo jacket, while her mind struggled to comprehend the complex emotions writhing inside of her; part of her wanted to act as she normally did, to brusquely refute him, but part of her wanted to melt into him, letting him hold her for the rest of time, to keep her safe like he had always promised… Her eyes began to drift shut slightly, her fingers curling further into the jacket, while her mind began to drift into a fog of some unknown feeling. _Sanji… You came back to me… Don't leave again,_ she began to beg _. Sanji… I…_

Then, it was like a switch flipped in her head and she realized what exactly was happening. With pink cheeks, she jerked out of his grasp and placed a few good feet between herself and the lascivious man. _What just happened to me?_

After the love-struck cook finally came to his senses, the captainless crew exchanged information about their respective experiences. Sanji explained that Bege had agreed to sail the cake farther away and draw off both Big Mom and the massive fleet to give the Straw Hats a chance to retrieve Luffy, who was currently trapped on Cacao island still embroiled in his fight with Dogtooth. They were currently three hours away from Cacao Island with a time of arrival at 1 a.m., but they had no idea when or where Luffy was going to emerge from the mirror world. Most likely, Big Mom's army had laid a trap for him, and he would walk right out of one intense battle to land in another. Nami bit down nervously on her bottom lip as she wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the chill traveling up from her spine. _Even as powerful as Luffy is… There's no way he can fight off an entire army after just getting out of an intense battle like that!_ Worse, they had not escaped the entire fleet, as a smaller one was still in active pursuit of the Thousand Sunny.

“There's no time. I’m going to have to go to Cacao Island and get him,” Sanji frowned deeply. Nami felt a scream of opposition rising in her throat and intense fear clench her heart in its cold, sharp claws. _No! He just escaped…!_ Though she wanted nothing more than to plead for him to stay, that there must be _some_ other way, but she knew deep down that there was not. Instead, she just clamped down on her bottom lip to keep her objections from escaping; they rang around in her head like a dismal symphony. _I want you to stay… Please don't go, Sanji… What if you don't come back?_ As she stared at him with a trembling mouth and tears threatening to appear in her eyes once more, unconsciously committing his form to memory, he turned his back to her to walk toward the magic carpet. Had his shoulders always been that broad? That back so strong? _Sanji! Don't go!_ Her fingers twitched with the need to grab the hem of his jacket like the weak little girl she was and beg him to stay. She wasn't sure what had come over her, why seeing him leave now frightened her so, but she could not think about anything else. **_Sanji…!_**

Somehow, he heard her.

He stopped a few steps away from the flying carpet, and Nami could see his shoulders hunch slightly as he pondered something; then, he whirled around to walk back over to her, giving a sidelong glance to Jinbe and the others. “I almost forgot. Make sure you guys take care of Nami, okay?” Though Nami would normally purse her lips and disregard his flirtatiousness, when his gaze flickered back to settle on her, the heat dwelling within his gaze made her mind melt into butter. Her heart began to flutter in her chest like a baby bird on its first clumsy flight. She was utterly helpless as he stopped in front of her, his head cocked to the side slightly as he regarded her with a soft smile. “I don't know what I would do if something happened to her,” he whispered, every word accelerating the feverish pace of her heartbeat. Despite her best efforts, her desperate pleas forced themselves past the barrier of her quivering lips, and she timidly reached forward to gently clutch the hem of his tuxedo jacket.

“Is there no other way?” she asked quietly, softly, where only he could hear her weakness. He didn't answer her, only slipped his hand around hers and trailed his thumb across the top of hers that was just barely trembling; then, with a sudden movement, he snatched her by the wrist and jerked her roughly by the arm so that she lost her balance and fell into him. Before she could even think about reacting, he had placed his index finger underneath her chin to tilt her face upwards, and as her startled eyes locked with his she saw that heat had burst into the intense flame of desire. Its warmth crossed the few centimeters between them, burning her cheeks and seeping into her entire body to wrap its flickering hands around her feeble heart, warming her in a way she never knew possible. Utterly helpless to its intensity, she could do nothing as his lips swept down to cover her own. At the moment their mouths met, Nami felt something burst inside of her, like a dam that had borne the weight of floodwaters finally giving way to spill the writhing waves across the land; it was so powerful that it made her knees weak and she had to clutch onto him to keep herself from being swept away by the fire and water. She was unable to stop herself from moving her lips in sync with his, dancing along to the melody of the natural forces roiling inside of her. It lasted mere seconds, but to Nami she was trapped in the maelstrom for an eternity. When their lips finally parted, she unconsciously ran her tongue across the surface of her bottom lip, tasting the sweetness left behind by his. This action did not go unnoticed by the flirtatious cook, as a satisfied grin appeared on his face, one that Nami realized once she finally came to her senses.

“Take care of her!” Sanji insisted to the completely floored crew members before whirling on his feet to stride back over to the flying carpet as if nothing had happened. Pudding was fuming, all three of her eyes wide as she spat acidic insults to him, then hunched over and shot the carpet off the boat at unnecessary speed. It was then that the crew managed to voice their confused screams and run around Nami in circles or shake her vigorously, but the navigator was watching it all through a foggy window, too entranced in the dream-like state of budding love.

 _Sanji kissed me_. He had always acted so nonchalant, and she had written off his proclamations of love as hopeless flirting. After all, he acted that way with every female that fell across his path. _He kissed me_. As much as she wanted to write this off as such, she could not; she could _feel_ that love for her now, _true_ love- that immense wave of fire that kissed the very depth of her soul and awoken something that she had not known had been sleeping within her. The flames of his passion had breathed flickering embers inside of her, nurturing her empty hearth into a gently burning candle of affection. _Sanji loves me._

_Do I… Do I love Sanji?_

~~~

Even nearly three hours later, Sanji was still grinning. _Nami had such a cute look on her face!_ He thought with a devilish snicker, then peered around the corner once more with a small frown. An entire army of Big Mom’s soldiers had gathered around what he had surmised to be the only remaining mirror within the kingdom, waiting to ensnare Luffy within their trap when he came stumbling out of his harrowing fight. _It should be soon, now… If he isn’t able to escape them immediately, we’ll be screwed…!_ He exhaled deeply and leaned back, tapping his foot slightly. He then smiled suddenly. “Pudding… We'll have to say goodbye soon,” he remarked and turned around to continue, then recoiled slightly in shock. “Why are you sitting all the way over there?!” She was perched on a box, biting down on her lip as she stared intently at the cobblestone alleyway path. He smiled slightly in bemusement and leaned back against the slightly cold stone wall. “You know, we met under pretty strange circumstances,” he remarked as he thought back on the strange roller coaster that had been their relationship. “We have to part ways soon, so I thought that I should thank you for everything you've done, Pudding,” he beamed and held out a hand for her. Pudding, at his prompting, stood up to look at him with a red face and a stressed expression, before she whipped around and screamed, “Shut up!” He could only chuckle. _Typical Pudding… Can't express her emotions at all._ As she hid her face, he smirked slightly. “I get it. We are enemies, after all. Though, with the wedding being a trap and a big show, I’m still glad that my fiancé was you, Pudding.” He meant that, too. Though he felt no romantic attraction to her- his heart did truly belong to Nami, after all- he wanted the best for her. It was then that she began to completely break down into ugly tears, startling him enough to jump up from his crouching position and run over to her. “Hey! Don't cry! I wasn't trying to make fun of you or anything!” Abruptly, she dried her tears and looked at him with a determined expression.

“Sanji… I have one last request of you.” Sanji was just relieved that she had stopped crying, and though he should have been keeping an eye out for his captain, he momentarily forgot the notion in lieu of humoring her request. Pudding scampered over to him, gazing up at him with those pretty eyes of hers, before she fell against him and clutched tightly onto his shirt. He raised his eyebrows slightly, quite surprised at her sudden display of affection. He was even more floored when she stood up on her tip-toes to firmly but lovingly press her lips against his. It was not like the way he had kissed Nami- the feeling was not quite strong enough- but strong enough that the words she could not speak were heard by him. It was her final goodbye, her gratitude, that she could not voice. As SanjI lay in a daze, having not expected such a thing from her, she jerkily pulled back and released him to hurry back down the alleyway. By the time he had blinked himself back into reality, she had vanished around the corner.

“Pudding?” he called as loudly as he dare with the nearby soldiers, but he could not chase after her. He stared at the darkness with complicated feelings, thinking about what she had told him in the sad, final kiss.

 _Thank you for everything… And love her well._ She didn't need to say it aloud for him to know. She knew he loved Nami, not her, and she had come to terms with that. Her last request had been for him to give her the love she could never have. It was a noble thing.

 _I will, Pudding. I hope you find someone to love you, too._ With that settled, he returned to his post waiting for his captain. All he had to do was rescue Luffy and return to the Thousand Sunny- return to Nami, at last.

~~~

Nami sat at her desk, hunched over slightly as she pored over her navigational charts ensuring that they were on the quickest, most efficient route to Wano. The sun was beginning to rise, golden light pouring in through the gap of her slightly open door along with the fresh, salty sea breeze. Nami often worked with the door open, as the scent of the ocean helped her concentrate. Though she once may have been loathe to admit it, she was born to be a pirate; she simply loved the sea, the ocean waves and the swirling currents and the salt dancing on the wind.

They had successfully escaped Big Mom's clutches with Pekoms as the only casualty. Their captain, though severely beaten, had been safely brought back by Sanji and was currently in the care of their spastic doctor. Jinbe had separated from them to aid his crew in ensuring their escape from the gigantic murderous Emperor. Now, they were sailing the open ocean heading towards Wano, where the great rendezvous would occur.

With a small yawn, Nami set down her pen and leaned back to stretch her arms above her head to quell her complaining back muscles, lowering a hand to rub her eyes. Somehow, her fingers drifted down to her lips, tracing across the soft surface where Sanji had kissed her. Even now, hours later, she could feel the ghost of his mouth against hers, the whispers of his love speaking to her trembling heart. The corner of her mouth twitched and she hurriedly lowered her hand, staring unseeing at the charts spread out across the wooden surface of her desk. Sanji had been on the ship for quite a while now, but she had been unable to bring herself to face him. That little fire smoldered inside of her, but she was unsettled by it. Nami knew nothing of love, and the intensity of emotion she had felt in that moment almost frightened her; even more, she was admittedly terrified at the possibility that it had all been one-sided on her part, that it had been yet another groundless flirtation and Sanji didn't care that deeply for her at all. The thought of that was almost unbearable.

It took Nami a few moments to notice that she felt the sea breeze more strongly than normal, and when she turned, she stiffened when she found that the door had been pushed all the way open, and Sanji was standing in the threshold. All of her thoughts ceased and she gawked dumbly at him.

“Have you been up all night?” he asked. He was still dressed in his cloak and tuxedo. Nami noticed for the first time how attractive he was in such an outfit, and as the blush began to rise to her cheeks, she hastily averted her gaze to her navigational charts.

“I've just been going over my charts. It's important that we get to Wano as quickly as possible,” she answered. Sanji did not answer. She heard the door click shut and the fall of his boots across the wooden floor, but she could not bring herself to look up; she could bring herself to do nothing but stare at the charts, her heart ramming against her ribcage. He stopped beside her, close enough for her to feel his body heat, or maybe it was just herself heating up as the little fire flickered brighter inside of her. She tilted her head up slightly of her own volition as his hand slid under her chin to turn her toward him, and she gazed up at him with widened eyes as he traced his thumb across the bags that had formed beneath them.

“You should go to sleep.” There was no way Nami could sleep now; as her doubts and fears writhed inside her like prowling beasts that she struggled to contain, their jaws dripping adrenaline that shot into her veins. He was looking at her like that again, that smoldering look that added flames to her newborn fire. Was she imagining it? She must be. After three years, all they had been through, why _now_ would he suddenly be in love with her? It couldn't possibly be true. Yet, as he continues to slowly trace his thumb across her wearied face, that glimmer of hope fluttered inside of her, a delicate butterfly with wings of fragile glass. If it were not true it would shatter.

“What did it mean?” she sputtered suddenly. His eyebrows crept up his forehead as her expression morphed from a startled deer to a firm wolf. “The kiss… What did it mean?” He was acting like it never happened. Did that mean it meant nothing? Her little butterfly began to falter as the thoughts crept into her mind, but she still stared resolutely up at him, hoping, hoping, _hoping._

“Oh. That.” He tugged up on her face, bringing her effortlessly into a standing position so that their faces were centimeters apart. His lips curled into a smug smirk as his free hand settled on the small of her back, slowly bringing her body up against his. If he felt her rapid gasps of breath, her heart hammering in her chest, her body trembling like a leaf upon that whirling salt breeze, he said nothing. “If I tell you, will you go to sleep?”

“Yes!” She had no pride now to refuse any demands; she just had to _know, know_ how he felt about her once and for all. His smirk widened, and he cocked his head to the side slightly.

“It means I love you, Nami.” As if the words were not enough, he sought to prove it further; in moments, his mouth had found hers, and that little butterfly of hope dove into her flickering flame to ignite it into a bursting inferno. Her knees immediately failed at the surge of heat within her, but Sanji firmly held her aloft. Not that Nami could focus on that, though- she was too busy at the mercy of his sugary-sweet lips pouring over hers. Their mouths mixed together like swirling ocean currents, engaged in a perfect harmonic dance. All of her thoughts were swept away by the rapidly rising tide, leaving only that roaring flame of her desire. Her shaking hands curled into his tuxedo jacket, the only way to ground herself against the intense storm, and allowed him to take control.

The kiss rapidly deepened, stealing Nami's breath away and drawing a soft _mmmmm_ from her. While his one hand still held her firmly by the small of her back, the other slid across her neck, over her shoulder, and into her tangerine hair to caress to salt-kissed waves, twirling his fingers around the orange strands. His lips pushed against hers with more insistence, begging for hers to part, and when she finally obliged him his tongue immediately jumped to entwine his hers. Nami's mind weakened against the pull of the tide, unable to cope with the strong sweetness bursting inside her mouth; it felt like pure honey being dripped across her tongue as it tangled with his. Her already weakened legs wobbled, barely able to hold her weight, and she dug her fingers into his shirt in a feeble effort to support herself. Sanji responded by reaching down to jerk her upwards, wrapping her legs around his middle while his head tilted backwards to continue kissing her passionately, their lips not breaking contact for a moment. He staggered slightly as she took the lead, her draconic fire bearing back against the tsunami of helplessness, and she released his clothes to cup his face as she kissed him back with all the force she could muster.

She knew now. She knew she loved him, too.

After a minute, Sanji carried her over to the bed and fell backwards onto it, bringing her down on top of him. Nami was not sure how much time actually passed, but at some point the wave receded and the fire sputtered out, and they broke apart. Their faces still close, they gazed into each others eyes as they breathed heavily. Nami's mind eventually returned to her, just as Sanji reached up to once again sweep his thumb over the dark circles beneath her eyes. “Will you sleep now?” he murmured breathily.

“Only if you stay with me,” she answered and slumped off him to curl up at his side, settling within the crook of his arm with her head laying across her chest. She could feel his heartbeat, rapid within his broad, muscular chest, and it soothed her as the drowsiness finally claimed her. As her eyes drooped, Sanji gently ran his fingers through her hair, from the roots down to the curled ends.

“Of course.”

“Did you love Pudding, Sanji?” She couldn’t help but ask. Sanji may have proclaimed his undying love for her but that didn’t make her forget his blatant flirtatiousness with other women. He snorted with laughter.

“Of course not. She's not a bad kisser, though. Not as good as you, naturally, but still not bad.” She glanced up at him with an irritated expression, her cheeks puffed out, while he smirked smugly.

“Get out of my bed!” She wasn't really angry with him; though knowing he had kissed Pudding irked her,  his reaction had been enough to appease any doubts she possessed. Still, she had to keep up her stubborn appearance. Sanji apparently saw through that façade and laughed heartily, wrapping her in a strong embrace and burying his face in her hair.

“Go to sleep!” Nami rolled her eyes but obediently snuggled into him, closing her eyes and listening to his breathing and gradually slowing heartbeat. Lulled by the sounds of the man she loved, Nami drifted off into a content sleep.


	48. Special Announcement

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the lack of activity; school has had me quite busy, as I'm sure a lot of you can relate to, and I'm trying my best to keep up with all of my current stories. Rest assured that I am still alive and more importantly, nothing has been abandoned. XD 

That being said, I would like to inform you of a big change that is coming to Cuddle Corner. I have been sitting on this idea for quite some time, and have finally decided to make it a reality. As of today, the Cuddle Corner will no longer be in operation- but don't worry! 

Rather than an entire multi-fandom collection, this story, I have decided to establish  _separate_ oneshot collections for each fandom. I think this will be better for everyone, as it will be easier for people to find stories that are of their interest, eliminate the problem with tagging not being as refined as I would like, and also encourage me to write a more diverse set of stories, as, let's be honest, this story collection has become dominated by particular fandoms and/or pairings (not that I hate it, please request as much as you would like!). This collection will remain up, but marked finished, merely for statistics purposes. All included stories will be ported to their respective collection, and all of you who currently have requests waiting to be fulfilled, your stories will be posted on the appropriate collection when I get around to writing them (soon, hopefully). If you do not like this change, please tell me! Everything I do is for my readers and if you guys prefer this method I will revert back. This change is to branch out to a broader audience and provide more organization and diversity of stories.

Below is the list of oneshot collections that will be established. More will be added as more stories come up. Each oneshot collection will also include this list, and will be updated as I come out with more collections. Also, please note the addition of Fairy Tail and Yona of the Dawn to the request list! Yay! The two are two of my favorites currently and I have received many requests to include them. Speaking of, if there is a fandom you love that is not included in the request list, please recommend it to me! I love reading new things and getting more ideas to write. Now, without further ado: 

  * Tales of the High Seas (One Piece) 
  * The Bonds that We Hold Dear (Naruto)
  * Tales of Connected Souls (Bleach)
  * Tales from the Four Tribes (Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra)
  * Equivalent Exchange: My Life for Yours (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  * Love Burning Bright (Blue Exorcist)
  * Tales of the Dawning Sun (Yona of the Dawn)
  * Love on a Fairy's Wing (Fairy Tail)



Yes, I am awful at titles. I know. This list will be expanded as time goes on. I hope everyone who has been following these stories is not too disrupted by the change and continues to read my little oneshots and make requests of me. Thank you all very much for your continued support, and make sure you let me know what you think! 


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